House Speaker Mike Johnson will hold onto his position as head of the chamber after Republicans cast their votes in his favor. President-elect Donald Trump threw his support behind Johnson.

House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared headed for defeat before two Republicans switched their vote, delivering him a majority.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson was reelected to the chamber's top job on Friday by a razor-thin margin that highlighted potential fissures among President-elect Donald Trump's Republicans on Capitol Hill.

The fate of Mike Johnson’s gavel rested on the House of Representatives and members-elect of the 119th Congress. On Friday, the first day of the session, Republicans didn’t support Johnson on the first vote even after he engaged in some last-minute lobbying ahead of the vote.

Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday won re-election to the top post in the House, salvaging his job in a dramatic last-minute turnabout by putting down a revolt from conservatives. He won with just enough votes to clinch the gavel, 218 to 215, but the vote reflected the steep challenge he faces in governing a slim and fractious majority. Read more ›

The US has opened the 119th Congress with a vote for the speakership in its lower chamber, the House of Representatives.

House Republicans gave Mike Johnson the speaker's gavel on Friday – along with a warning. Nine GOP lawmakers at first either abstained from voting for Johnson or voted for a different person for speaker.

This time was supposed to be different. But while House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday avoided the dayslong ordeal that his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, endured to become speaker, his relatively swift victory was hardly a unifying moment.