The Speaker vote
55 days until the House elects its Speaker: Sunday, January 3, 2027, starting at noon Eastern.
The math
Democrats elected
254
Republicans elected
165
Not yet called
16
Votes to win (435 voting)
218
If all 435 members vote for someone by name and every Republican votes for someone else, the Democratic nominee can lose 36 Democratic votes and still win. That can grow as the 16 uncalled seats are decided.
- Voting "present" or not voting lowers the number needed: with 3 "present" votes, 217 is enough.
- Vacant seats lower it too. A member who resigns or dies before January 3 doesn't vote.
- If no one gets a majority, the House votes again, and it can do nothing else, not even swear in its members, until someone wins.
How the Speaker is elected · Who controls Congress · Races still being counted
Who's running
| Party | Picks its leader | What's been reported |
|---|---|---|
| Democrats | November 18 and 19 | Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House Democratic leader since 2023, announced his bid for Speaker in a letter to colleagues on November 4. He needs a majority of the Democratic caucus, then 218 votes on the floor (or a majority of those voting for a name). He would be the first Black Speaker. Katherine Clark is running for majority leader. |
| Republicans | November 10 | Mike Johnson, the current Speaker, won't seek to stay on as Republican leader and will remain a rank-and-file member. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio are running for minority leader. The minority party usually votes for its leader on the floor: Democrats voted for Jeffries in 2023 and 2025. |
As reported by November 9, 2026. Dates and candidates can change. Every party leadership vote
Past Speaker votes
| When | Winner | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Mike Johnson (R) | Won on the first ballot with 218 votes to Jeffries' 215, after two Republicans switched their votes before the ballot closed. |
| October 2023 | Mike Johnson (R) | Elected with 220 votes three weeks after the House removed Kevin McCarthy. |
| January 2023 | Kevin McCarthy (R) | Took 15 ballots over four days. He won with 216 votes to Jeffries' 212, with 6 members voting "present". |
| 1855–1856 | Nathaniel Banks | The longest: 133 ballots over two months. |
Questions
When is the Speaker elected?
On January 3, 2027, the first day of the 120th Congress, before members are sworn in.
How many votes does it take?
A majority of members voting for a person by name: 218 if all 435 do. "Present" votes and absences lower that number.
Who will the Democratic nominee be?
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, announced his bid on November 4. The Democratic caucus picks its nominee on November 18 and 19.
Seats: our 2026 results. Sources: U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2; Office of the House Historian; Bloomberg Government and ABC News (November 4, 2026); Axios and AP (November 4, 2026).
The new Congress · The class of 2027 · When the new Congress takes office
See an error on this page? Let us know · Missing something? Suggest it