After a tense election, Mike Johnson, the current speaker of the US House of Representatives, has been re-elected. He won a dramatic victory in the US Congressional vote on Friday. President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed his re-election to the position, BBC reports.
Johnson needed 218 votes to be re-elected as speaker. However, he received 216 votes on the first ballot. Another 215 voted for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. The other candidates received three votes. Three Republicans did not vote for Johnson.
No candidate received the required number of votes, so the vote went to a second round. Johnson eventually won. He relied on Republican lawmakers to get the required 218 votes. Hakim received 215 votes. The other candidates had one vote each.
After securing victory in the second round of voting, Johnson was sworn in as a member of the next Congress in addition to his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Johnson represents Louisiana in the House of Representatives. Johnson was elected Speaker in October 2023.
After his victory, Johnson said that Joe Biden's weak leadership over the past four years has put the United States in a dangerous position. The next Congress will champion the implementation of the America First policy. America First is Donald Trump's top priority policy to move the country forward.
Trump congratulated Johnson on his re-election as Speaker. In a post on social media, Trump wrote, "Johnson will be an excellent Speaker. The United States will benefit from his leadership."
