U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., held onto the gavel Friday in a closely watched election. But, as expected, he did it without the help of the Bay State’s Capitol Hill delegation.
All nine Democratic members of Massachusetts' House contingent cast their ballots for U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., according to a tally published by The Washington Post.
The votes by Massachusetts' lawmakers weren’t a surprise. All 215 House Democrats were expected to back Jeffries on Friday.
“The Democrats are going to be at full strength, and committed to voting for Hakeem Jeffries” U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th District, the minority whip, told MSNBC ahead of the vote.
Jeffries has shown “time and time again that he’s committed to bringing the concerns the American people have to Congress, and returning solutions to them,” Clark told MSNBC.
Johnson, who had the backing of President-elect Donald Trump won over skeptics within his own conference to win reelection to another term Friday as the House’s presiding officer.
Johnson narrowly prevailed over Jeffries 218-215, with U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., taking a single vote, The Post reported.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-3rd District, who was sworn in for her fourth term on Friday, said that "every decision I make, and every vote I take will continue to be guided by one question: How does this improve the lives of the people I have the privilege to serve?
“The road ahead won’t be easy, especially under Republican control of the federal government,” the Westford Democrat said. “However, I remain committed to working with anyone, regardless of their political affiliation, who shares the goal of improving the communities we represent.”
Trump called Johnson’s reelection an “unprecedented vote of confidence in Congress” in a post on Truth Social, The Associated Press reported.
“The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership,” Trump wrote. “They’ll get it now and America will be greater than ever before.”
The President-elect had endorsed Johnson and sent good wishes earlier on Friday ahead of the vote, the wire service reported.
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