Mike Johnson was chosen House speaker after Trump endorsed Republicans

Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana re-elected as speaker of the House of Representatives Friday on the first ballot after two of his other three Republicans who first voted for other caucus members switched their votes to him.

Representatives Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas turned their votes for Johnson after joining him near the House floor as the chamber's clerk kept the ballot open for more than an hour.

Only one Republican, representative Tom Massie of Kentucky, voted for someone else – representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota – in the final count, which gave Johnson the minimum 218 votes he needed to win.

Neither Emmer nor the other Republicans Norman and Fein voted for first – Jim Jordan of Ohio and Byron Donalds of Florida – were nominated for or seeking the speaker's gavel.

Johnson defeated representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who was nominated by his fellow Democrats. Jeffries received all 215 votes of the caucus.

President-elect Donald Trumpwho had supported Johnson's candidacy, in a post on social media congratulated him for “Getting an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress.”

“Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our country will benefit,” Trump wrote. “The American People have waited four years for a Senate, a Power, and a Presidency. They will get it now, and America will be higher than ever!”

Johnson took his place as leader of the House after the vote and called a moment of silence for the victims of the New Year terrorist attack in New Orleans.

Johnson was first elected speaker on October 25, 2023, three weeks later-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from that slot when a handful of Republican members joined all Democrats to vote to remove him.

Johnson was the fourth candidate considered to replace McCarthy.

McCarthy had only been speaker himself for nine months when he was ousted – he was first elected speaker in January 2023 after four days of voting and 15 ballots.