Congress Members Who May Cause Trouble for Mike Johnson With Thin Margin

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana will have to tread carefully with some of the new congressional members as a thin Republican majority makes it potentially difficult to push through President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.

Why It Matters

The Republicans currently hold a majority of just a few seats over the Democrats in the House of Representatives: 219-215 seats, a thinner margin even compared to the already thin margin of 222 Republicans to 213 Democrats of the previous Congress.

Johnson got a taste of the difficult path he has to tread as just a handful of rebel Republicans nearly prevented him from winning the speakership on the first ballot. Only two votes were needed to change the near-loss to a victory, underscoring just how tight margins can be.

That isn’t even considering that some Republicans will leave the House to pursue positions in Trump’s Cabinet, leaving some of those seats up for grabs since states have latitude as to how they handle those vacancies.

What to Know

Johnson managed to win back the speakership thanks to some help from Trump, who called the holdout Republicans and appeared able to convince two of them to switch their votes: Representatives Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas.

Both of those men have now shown that they are willing to buck the trend and stand up to the party if they feel they are not getting their due, which could cause some significant headaches for Johnson.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Libertarian, ultimately refused to change his vote and did not support Johnson, as six other holdouts changed their minds and voted for Johnson after initially declining to vote at all when the initial roll call happened.

Massie may prove a significant thorn in Johnson’s side as he remains outside the influence of Trump world. He did not endorse Trump during the primary, instead supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and he was one of the first early dissenters against Johnson’s return as House Speaker.

Representative Chip Roy of Texas may also prove to be trouble for Johnson. Labeled an “ultraconservative” by NBC News and highlighted as a “key figure” in helping get Kevin McCarthy elected to speaker last year, according to The Hill, Roy will want to see more hard-line conservatives appointed to influential positions, and he may himself seek a bigger role in this new Congress.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus will also likely look to make life difficult for Johnson unless their demands are met – demands they outlined in a letter to their colleagues ahead of the House Speaker vote. These include a call to modify the House calendar for more sessions and votes on border security, spending cuts, election reform and more, Axios reported.

Those members include Roy along with Representatives Andy Harris of Maryland, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Eli Crane of Arizona, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Eric Burlison of Missouri and Andrew Clyde of Georgia.

Ogles himself may face a difficult tenure after the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), an independent and nonpartisan committee, recommended an investigation into the Republican over alleged campaign finance irregularities. These allegations center around whether he may have misrepresented a loan amount to his 2022 campaign.

Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.

Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska has built a reputation as a moderate, holding onto his position since 2016 thanks to his experience as a retired Air Force brigadier general. He faced his greatest challenge last year, during which he won his seat by a narrow two-point gap. He will continue to lean on his moderate bonafides, having told NBC News that he and other moderates will act as a “conscience” for the party.

What People Are Saying

Representative Keith Self of Texas, who switched his vote to support Johnson after initially refusing to vote, wrote on X: “My sole focus was advancing the Trump agenda. To ensure this, I expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and holding the line on deficit spending—key priorities for my constituents.”

“After receiving firm assurances from the Speaker, that Republicans in the House will have strong representation during the budget reconciliation process—a cornerstone of President Trump’s agenda—I changed my initial vote. I appreciate Speaker Johnson addressing these critical issues. Let’s get to work!”

After the final results of the 2024 election became clear, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Trump swept the battleground states and won the Presidency. Yet the House Republican Majority will be historically narrow. There is no mandate to jam far right policies down the throats of the American people. House Democrats will not let that happen.”

What Happens Next

The House will see two of its members leave later this month to pursue positions in Trump’s second administration: Representative Michael Watlz of Florida for National Security Adviser and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York for U.N. Ambassador.

New York and Florida will hold a special election for the seats. Stefanik’s seat was previously held by a Democrat, and therefore is not seen as a certainty to remain Republican.

Whether Johnson bows to the demands of the House Freedom Caucus will also play a major role in how much he gets done before the 2026 midterm election, which will effectively serve as a mandate on his leadership and the Republican Party as a whole.