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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as he becomes the Republican speaker with the smallest majority in history. Despite retaining control of the House, he will now have to lead with an even smaller margin, just as President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his support to push through important initiatives.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Writing from the government building
The margin of victory for Speaker Mike Johnson has decreased, making his majority even more narrow.
Tuesday night marked the conclusion of the final House race as Representative John Duarte, a newly elected Republican from California, accepted defeat to Democrat Adam Gray. This victory secured a slim majority of 220-215 for the Republicans, slightly narrower than their current margin of 220-213.
In January, the margins will decrease even more when Representatives Elise Stefanik from New York and Mike Waltz from Florida step down to work in the Trump administration. Former Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida has also announced that he will not be coming back.
After the special election, Republicans will have a slim majority of 217-215 in the House, which matches the smallest controlling margin in history. If all Democrats stand together against a proposal, Mr. Johnson cannot afford to lose any support from his party until the vacancies are filled. Even after the vacancies are filled in the spring, only three Republicans can go against the party without causing a bill to fail.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson seemed unconcerned about the situation and assured reporters on Capitol Hill that they are experienced in working with a small majority and it is a normal occurrence for them.
He also mentioned that they have no extra resources to provide. However, all members are aware of this. They discussed this concept today, as they often do, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and unity in working towards a common goal.
He did not discuss how he achieved success in dealing with a small majority by working with Democrats to pass important legislation that his own party opposed. This strategy may not be possible in the future when President-elect Donald J. Trump is in office.
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