Johnson Reelected Speaker on 1st Ballot

In a 218–215 vote, Johnson was elected on the first ballot in spite of short-lived hiccups early in the vote.

House Speaker-elect Mike Johnson (R-La.) is sworn in after winning the speakership during the first sitting of the 119th Congress in Washington on Jan. 3, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Jan. 3 was elected to reprise his role as speaker of the House on the first ballot, tamping down a Republican mutiny that could have led the vote into multiple ballots.

Johnson defeated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for the gavel in a 218–215 vote—the bare minimum threshold to be elected. In his acceptance speech for the post, Johnson vowed that the House would pursue an aggressive America First agenda.