October 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election

October 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election

← January 2023 October 17–25, 2023 2025 →
Needed to win: Majority of votes cast First ballot: 432 votes cast, 217 needed for a majority Fourth ballot: 429 votes cast, 215 needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Candidate Mike Johnson[a] Hakeem Jeffries Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat Louisiana 4th New York 8th First ballot did not contest 212 (49.1%) Final ballot 220 (51.3%) 209 (48.7%)   Third party   Candidate Jim Jordan[b] Others Party Republican Leader's seat Ohio 4th First ballot 200 (46.3%) 20 (4.6%) Final ballot withdrawn —
Speaker before election Vacant[c] Elected Speaker Mike Johnson Republican

Following the successful motion to vacate the speakership of Kevin McCarthy of California on October 3, 2023, the members of the U.S. House of Representatives began holding an extremely rare intra-term election for speaker of the House on October 17. In the 118th Congress, McCarthy's House Republican Conference holds the majority of seats. He had previously been elected on January 7, 2023, after an unusual fifteen rounds of voting in the January speakership election. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, also a Republican, served as speaker pro tempore until a new speaker was elected. This was the 129th speaker election since the office was created in 1789. On the fourth ballot of voting on October 25, 2023, the Republican Party's fourth nominee, Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected the 56th speaker of the House.

Hakeem Jeffries of New York was unanimously nominated by the House Democratic Caucus on October 10. Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana was initially nominated by the House Republican Conference on October 11, but he withdrew from the race the next day. Jim Jordan of Ohio was nominated on a second internal Republican conference vote on October 13.

In the first round of voting, Jeffries received 212 votes from all Democrats, Jim Jordan received 200 votes from most Republicans, and seven others received some Republican votes despite not being formally nominated. As no person received the majority of votes cast, a second round of voting was necessary. On the second round, a net of two Republicans switched their vote from Jordan to other candidates. In the third round, a further three switched their vote from Jordan, bringing the total Republicans against Jordan to 25. As it had become clear Jordan did not have enough support to be elected Speaker, the House Republican Conference voted to remove him as the Republican Party's nominee for Speaker.

On October 24, the conference nominated Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who withdrew shortly after former president Donald Trump voiced his opposition to Emmer's candidacy. That night, Louisiana representative and conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson was selected in Emmer's place, having previously come in second place against him.^[1]

In the fourth round, held on October 25, Johnson received 220 votes and was elected speaker, while Jeffries came in second place with 209 votes. Unlike previous ballots, no Republicans defected, and every representative present voted for their party's nominee for Speaker.^[2]

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