Republican Party messiness on full display after struggling to elect Mike Johnson as House speaker

The U.S. House of Representatives reelected Mike Johnson of Louisiana as House speaker after failing to secure the speakership during Friday’s first round of voting. The setback briefly delayed the start of the 119th Congress, leaving legislative business on hold, including the swearing-in of new members. After a delay and backroom wrangling, Johnson emerged victorious. The outcome lays bare the persistent fractures within the GOP, whose narrow majority makes every vote critical.

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Johnson initially received 216 votes from Republican lawmakers, while all 215 Democrats supported Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Three Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Keith Self of Texas—voted for other candidates, denying Johnson the 218 votes needed to secure a majority of the 434 votes cast.

“Once again, House Republicans are in disarray,” wrote Human Rights Campaign national press secretary Brandon Wolf on X, formerly Twitter.

After the initial vote, Johnson and his allies lobbied the GOP holdouts, two of whom eventually changed their votes, securing Johnson’s victory as the 56th Speaker of the House. The chaos surrounding the vote loomed over an otherwise celebratory evening for the LGBTQ+ community.

On Thursday night, Equality PAC hosted a gala at Washington’s District Winery to honor the historic victories of incoming LGBTQ+ members of Congress. Among those celebrated were Rep.-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first out transgender person elected to the U.S. House; Washington Rep.-elect Emily Randall, the first queer Latine woman representative; and Rep.-elect Julie Johnson, the first LGBTQ+ member from Texas. Each of the women cast their first vote in Congress for Jeffries as speaker.

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Related: Kevin McCarthy Ousted from Speakership in Historic Vote, GOP Fractured

In her remarks previewing GOP chaos on Thursday evening, McBride addressed the ongoing speakership uncertainty with a mix of humor and resolve. “As I stand here before you ready to hopefully take the oath of office tomorrow—or maybe Saturday or Sunday or Monday, depending on when Republicans get their house in order—I am filled with gratitude,” McBride said.

The showdown on Friday mirrors the chaos of January 2023, when Rep. Kevin McCarthy required 15 rounds of voting to win the gavel. McCarthy’s ousting in October 2024 deepened the Republican Party’s internal divisions, leaving the GOP scrambling to present a unified front.

Johnson’s struggle to secure the speakership highlights these ongoing challenges. After Johnson’s confirmation as the gavel-holder, the 119th Congress will begin its business by swearing-in the members.