Problems despite Trump's support House Speaker fights for political survival
Republican Mike Johnson is running for re-election as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Trump supports him, but Republicans on the right are not so convinced.
02.01.2025, 23:08
03.01.2025, 08:01
dpa
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- Republican Mike Johnson wants to be re-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
- To do so, he needs all the votes of the Republicans in the House of Representatives.
- Johnson had caused displeasure among right-wing party members at his first inauguration.
Republican Mike Johnson from the US state of Louisiana is standing for re-election as Chairman of the House of Representatives on Friday. When the new Congress convenes, Johnson will need almost all the votes of Republican members of the House of Representatives. He already has one advantage in his endeavor: President-elect Donald Trump backed him in a post on social media at the beginning of the week.
However, it is unclear whether Trump's support will be enough to convince far-right Republicans. Johnson has sometimes caused frustration among them with his administration. These Republicans are also likely to demand concessions in return for their vote. The Republicans have a slim majority of 220 to 215 votes in the House of Representatives.
The leader of the House of Representatives is in second place in the presidential succession. The 52-year-old Johnson took this position in October 2023 - almost by chance, after the Republicans had problems finding a successor to Kevin McCarthy, who had been removed from office. Several candidates stood for election and failed. The party then settled on Johnson. But his handling of spending disputes, including the passage of aid to Ukraine last spring, has cost him some allies.
The following is an overview of the chairman's election:
No House of Representatives without a chair
The election of the Speaker is the first item on the agenda for the House of Representatives after the new Congress begins its session at noon (local time) on Friday. This vote takes place even before the members are sworn in. Normally, a chairperson remains in office for the entire two years of the legislative term.
Who can be nominated?
Members in plenary can call out any name. Traditionally, the elected chairperson is a member of the House of Representatives. However, this is not a rule. In the past, such a vote has resulted in votes for US President Joe Biden, Trump and Senator Rand Paul. Normally, the official candidate of a party is given the position of chairman.
The Republicans chose Johnson as their candidate in a vote behind closed doors in November. The Democrats decided unanimously a week later that Congressman Hakeem Jeffries should remain their caucus leader despite the party's electoral defeats.
MPs are not obliged to vote for their party's official candidate. Therefore, chaos cannot be ruled out during the vote.
The vote begins
As soon as the required minimum number of MPs are present, nomination speeches are made for the candidates. MPs from both parties are selected to count the votes.
To become chairman, a candidate needs a majority of the votes of the MPs present and voting. In the past, the majority has been 218 votes in the 435-member House of Representatives. However, many previous winners have prevailed with fewer votes because some members of the House of Representatives vote "present" instead of choosing a candidate. Each member who votes this way ensures that the number needed for a majority decreases.
McCarthy had to complete 15 ballots spread over four days until he had enough votes for the presidency in January 2023.