The United States House of Representatives has re-elected Republican Mike Johnson as its speaker, in a vote seen as a nail-biting test of party unity in advance of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, reports Al Jazeera.
But Johnson’s campaign to keep the speaker’s gavel was not without its bumps on Friday.
Johnson emerged victorious after an uncertain first round of voting, as some members of his party initially withheld their votes over issues like his role in the recent bipartisan budget negotiations.
He ultimately won the speakership with 218 votes out of a total of 435, after two of the holdouts — Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — changed their votes.
Another 215 votes, all Democratic, went to minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. Representative Thomas Massie, who had pledged to refuse Johnson, cast his vote for fellow Republican Tom Emmer.
The tight vote underscored the narrow margin of control Republicans have over the chamber. With only 219 seats in the House, Republicans will need nearly every vote they have to reach a majority in a party-line vote.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
