Johnson failing in first ballot for Speaker post as House meets to pick leader for 119th Congress

WASHINGTON — It appeared that Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson would fail to win enough votes to be re-elected as Speaker of the House on Friday. A first round of balloting showed him short of the 218 votes he needed to return to his leadership post as the 119th Congress opened.Clerks were yet to certify the results. If the tally from the first ballot holds, another vote would be required.Johnson was elected to the House's top post in October 2023, winning enough support from a fractured R