House Speaker Mike Johnson and his allies have been increasingly optimistic throughout the morning on Friday, as no other GOP lawmakers, besides Rep. Thomas Massie, have communicated to the speaker’s office they will definitively oppose him on the floor, according to multiple GOP sources.
While Republican leadership is not ruling out potential drama given the historically narrow margins for securing the speakership, there is rising confidence Johnson will secure the gavel by the end of day Friday.
Even one of Johnson’s holdouts — GOP Rep. Andy Ogles — predicted that Johnson would keep his gavel on Friday, and the only question was how many ballots it would take. The upbeat tone is notable from Ogles, who said he will not publicly reveal whether he plans to support Johnson on the floor.
Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, is among a group of members pushing for commitments from Johnson in the 119th Congress. Asked about his personal priorities, Ogles said he wants Congress to pay for any emergency spending, such as natural disaster relief or international aid.
“I’d say one of the biggest things is any supplemental, there needs to be a pay-for,” Ogles said.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan exuded optimism about the vote, saying he thought it would take one ballot.
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“I think so, I think probably Thomas is, as far as I know, Thomas is the only ‘no’ vote,” he said, referring to Massie.
Remember: To be elected speaker, a candidate must win a majority of votes out of all votes cast. There is one vacancy expected when the House convenes — with former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz saying he won’t take the seat he was elected to in the new Congress — leaving 434 members, with 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats. If all 434 vote, it takes 218 to win.
This post has been updated with additional details.
