Johnson Faces Key Test in Bid to Retain Speakership

With the start of the 119th Congress just a day away, Johnson can only afford to lose one Republican vote in the speaker election.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks to the media during a vote on a revised continuing resolution bill at Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 19, 2024. Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—With the start of the 119th Congress just a day away, for some lawmakers, the impending speaker fight feels like deja vu.

On Jan. 3, the newly-elected Congress will gather in Washington, and its first order of business will be to elect the House speaker.