# Who is the Speaker of the House?

*Mike Johnson has held the office since October 25, 2023, and the House elects a Speaker at the start of each new Congress.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Politics
- By: Politics Desk
- Published: 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/

Topics: [U.S. Congress](https://factsdesk.com/topic/us-congress/)

## Key facts

- Rep. Mike Johnson is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, according to the official leadership page of the House. Source: [U.S. House of Representatives](https://www.house.gov/leadership). Confirmed 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/#rep-mike-johnson-is-the-speaker-of-the-house-of
- Johnson was first elected Speaker on October 25, 2023, and was elected again on January 3, 2025, for the 119th Congress. Source: [U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art and Archives](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-List/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/#johnson-was-first-elected-speaker-on-october-25-2023-and-was
- Johnson is the 56th Speaker of the House and a Republican member of Congress serving Louisiana's Fourth District, according to his official biography. Source: [Office of the Speaker of the House](https://www.speaker.gov/meet-mike-johnson/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/#johnson-is-the-56th-speaker-of-the-house-and-a-republican
- The Speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress by a majority of the Representatives-elect, from candidates chosen separately by the majority and minority party caucuses. Source: [U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art and Archives](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-Intro/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/#the-speaker-is-elected-at-the-beginning-of-a-new-congress-by
- The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President. Source: [U.S. House of Representatives](https://www.house.gov/leadership). Confirmed 2026-11-11T23:08:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/who-is-the-speaker-of-the-house/#the-speaker-of-the-house-is-second-in-line-to-succeed-the

Rep. Mike Johnson is the Speaker of the House, according to the [leadership page of the House of Representatives](https://www.house.gov/leadership) and the [leadership page of the Clerk of the House](https://clerk.house.gov/Members/ViewLeadership). His [official biography](https://www.speaker.gov/meet-mike-johnson/) describes him as the 56th Speaker and a Republican member of Congress serving Louisiana's Fourth District.

## When Mike Johnson became Speaker

The House Office of the Historian [lists](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-List/) two elections of Johnson as Speaker. The first was on October 25, 2023, during the 118th Congress, to fill the vacancy left when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from the office on October 3, 2023, under House Resolution 757. The second was on January 3, 2025, for the 119th Congress, which the same list dates from 2025 to 2027.

His [biography](https://www.speaker.gov/meet-mike-johnson/) says he was first elected to Congress in December 2016, is serving his fifth term and is the first person from Louisiana elected Speaker.

## Recent Speakers of the House

These are the five most recent Speaker elections on the [Historian's list](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-List/).

| Congress | Speaker | Date elected |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 116th | Nancy Pelosi of California | January 3, 2019 |
| 117th | Nancy Pelosi of California | January 3, 2021 |
| 118th | Kevin McCarthy of California | January 7, 2023 |
| 118th | Mike Johnson of Louisiana | October 25, 2023 |
| 119th | Mike Johnson of Louisiana | January 3, 2025 |

## How the Speaker is chosen

The office comes from the Constitution, which [says](https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript) in Article I, Section 2, "The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers".

The Office of the Historian [explains](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-Intro/) that the Speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress by a majority of the Representatives-elect, from candidates chosen separately by the majority and minority party caucuses. Those candidates are picked by their party members at organizing caucuses held soon after a new Congress is elected. When the office becomes vacant during a Congress, a majority of the House elects a new Speaker. The same page says the Speaker has always been a House member but is not required to be one, and that 56 people have served as Speaker.

House leadership is elected every two years at the beginning of a new Congress, the [Clerk of the House says](https://clerk.house.gov/Members/ViewLeadership), so the Speaker's election is repeated each time a new Congress begins.

On November 10, 2026, the Speaker's office [said](https://www.speaker.gov/2026/11/10/speaker-johnson-congratulates-new-house-gop-leadership-team/) House Republicans had elected Rep. Jim Jordan to serve as Minority Leader, Rep. Tom Emmer as Minority Whip and Rep. Lisa McClain as Republican Conference Chair in the 120th Congress. That statement did not name a Speaker for the 120th Congress, and this page will be updated at this address when the House elects one.

## What the Speaker does

The House [describes](https://www.house.gov/leadership) the Speaker as the leader of the House, combining the roles of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, leader of the majority party in the House and elected member of the House. The same page says the Speaker is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President.

For a deadline now before Congress, see [Will the government shut down on December 11?](/politics/will-the-government-shut-down-on-december-11/)

## Sources

1. [Leadership](https://www.house.gov/leadership), U.S. House of Representatives, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
2. [Leadership](https://clerk.house.gov/Members/ViewLeadership), Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
3. [Speakers of the House by Congress](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-List/), U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art and Archives, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
4. [Speakers of the House](https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Speakers-Intro/), U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art and Archives, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
5. [Meet Mike Johnson](https://www.speaker.gov/meet-mike-johnson/), Office of the Speaker of the House, 2026-11-11 (primary source)
6. [Speaker Johnson Congratulates New House GOP Leadership Team](https://www.speaker.gov/2026/11/10/speaker-johnson-congratulates-new-house-gop-leadership-team/), Office of the Speaker of the House, 2026-11-10 (primary source)
7. [The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription](https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript), National Archives, 2026-11-11 (primary source)