US House Speaker Mike Johnson
Speaker Mike Johnson was re-elected to the top post in the US House in a stunning floor vote on the opening day of Congress on Friday, securing the gavel on the first ballot.
But the vote did not come without drama. Republicans Ralph Norman and Keith Self had initially voted for candidates other than Johnson.
The Clerk, though, held open the vote, and after negotiations with Johnson, Norman and Self made their way to the front of the chamber and switched to support Johnson.
Republican Thomas Massie, Johnson’s biggest antagonist who has criticised his moves over the last year on spending, was the only Republican to vote for a candidate other than Johnson.
The vote is also a victory for President-elect Donald Trump, who had endorsed Johnson and was instrumental in rallying Republicans around the Speaker. Several members had warned that a delay in electing the Speaker could have complicated the election certification on January 6.
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