Mike Johnson loses first bid to retain speakership
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) had hoped to win the speakership in the first round of voting.
It did not go according to plan, however.
In the first vote, Johnson’s first bid for the speakership came up short, although he will certainly make additional bids in the coming hours.
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In total, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries received 215 votes, Johnson received 215 votes, and three renegade Republicans voted for someone other than either of the two leading candidates.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) holds the record for the most votes needed to attain the speakership, as it took him 17 rounds to finally get over the finish line back in 2023.