Mike Johnson Re-Elected as House Speaker with 218 Votes

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was re-elected as House Speaker after securing 218 votes, the minimum required for victory. He convinced two Republicans, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) and Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), who initially supported other candidates, to switch their votes.

Johnson's margin of control in the House is slim, allowing only one dissenting vote, which came from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky). Massie had previously stated he would not support Johnson, instead voting for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who is known for supporting the crypto industry. Emmer ultimately voted for Johnson.

The voting process took 2.5 hours, significantly faster than the previous election in October 2023 that first saw Johnson elected.

While Johnson has not prominently addressed cryptocurrency issues, he is seen as supportive of the industry. He voted for the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) and an anti-central bank digital currency (CBDC) bill.

Johnson’s re-election and Emmer’s role as Majority Whip suggest that pro-crypto lawmakers are well-positioned to advance crypto legislation in 2025.