The GOP-led House chose on Friday to keep Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) on as speaker for the 119th Congress, a triumph for the man who faced some resistance within his own party after roughly 14 months on the job despite being endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump and other key allies.
A total of 218 Republicans voted for Johnson, giving him the majority he needed for victory in the first ballot, while 215 Democrats backed Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). An individual needed 218 votes to win the gavel if all 434 sitting members backed someone by name after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) resigned after last year’s election amid a brief push to become the next U.S. attorney general. Frustrated with Johnson’s leadership in a divided Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) became the sole Republican to reject Johnson’s bid. Other GOP holdouts came around and voted for…
