Washington – House Speaker Mike Johnson met with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Thursday as his bid for the presidency in the next Congress is up for grabs.
House members will vote Friday to re-elect the Louisiana Republican as speaker, but it’s unclear whether Johnson will have the votes, although no other serious challengers have emerged.
Several conservatives were seen entering Johnson’s Capitol office Thursday afternoon, including House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland, who has questioned his leadership.
Johnson’s handling of government funding may have eroded his standing with far-right members of the chamber. Harris he said in an interview with Fox Business on Dec. 26 that he was in Johnson’s corner before the funding fight, but members are considering “whether the current leadership is what we need.”
If the Democrats remain united and all members vote and are present on Friday, Johnson can lose just one Republican vote and still win the hammer.
Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, says he plans to vote for someone other than Johnson.
Others have not said how they will vote, including Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who attended Thursday’s meeting. Roy he said Massie made good arguments against Johnson, though added that it’s not all Johnson’s fault.
Heading into the meeting with Johnson, Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina said he wanted certain assurances on a number of issues and was undecided.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who also attended the meeting, said she would make her decision Friday.