House GOP nominates Johnson for Speaker

Source: The Hill

11/13/24 4:17 PM ET


House Republicans on Wednesday nominated Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to retain the gavel in the upcoming 119th Congress, according to three sources in the room, as the conference prepares to govern in the GOP trifecta next year. Johnson — who was running unopposed for the gavel — won the Speakership nomination on a unanimous voice vote, with no one vocalizing opposition. No other lawmakers threw their hats in the ring or were nominated for the post.

The voice vote, however, is a blow to conservatives who had been planning to push for a recorded vote as a form of protest on various measures. The Louisiana Republican will take his nomination to the House floor on Jan. 3, when he will need to get support from a majority of the chamber to retain his leadership post — a much higher bar in the GOP’s razor-thin majority.

Johnson has sought to keep his grasp on the gavel after winning the top job in a whirlwind process last year following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Shortly before Wednesday’s vote, he secured support from President-elect Trump, a boon for his candidacy and path to the gavel going forward. During a meeting with House Republicans Wednesday morning, Trump called Johnson a “good guy” and said “I’m with him all the way,” a source in the room told The Hill. But Johnson, nonetheless, faces a tough road ahead in January, when he will need near-unanimous support from the conference on the House floor.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4988793-mike-johnson-speaker-house-gop/