The House is set to convene on Friday to elect its next speaker, a required procedure before lawmakers can be sworn in for the 119th Congress. Johnson will be working with a historically slim margin of just 219-215, meaning he can only afford to lose one Republican vote if all members are present and voting. 

MEET THE NEW CONGRESS: THE HOUSE AND SENATE FRESHMEN ELECTED TO SERVE NEXT YEAR

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already said he would vote against Johnson, giving the speaker virtually no room for error and putting the GOP conference at risk of beginning the new Congress on a somewhat chaotic note — similar to last year when it took Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds over four days to secure the gavel. 

Now, the Republican Party’s newest members are pressing their colleagues to brush their frustrations with Johnson aside and prioritize getting the House in order before the Jan. 6 certification of Trump’s 2024 electoral win.

“We have a very, very, very thin margin, and I think that he deserves an opportunity to work with President Trump and with a trifecta,” Rep.-elect Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) told the Washington Examiner in an interview. “Remember, he has been dealing with a Democrat president and a Democrat Senate and a very thin majority in the House. This is why I think he deserves an opportunity to serve as speaker.”

Haridopolos acknowledged some GOP members “have some reservations” with reelecting Johnson but argued it is the “will of the public” to reelect Trump and fast-track his agenda — something he said would be impeded if Republicans take multiple rounds to elect a speaker. 

Rep.-elect Mark Harris (R-NC) echoed similar sentiments, arguing “the last thing” the House GOP needs is “to hand off the narrative that somehow our Republican conference is in disarray.”

“I feel like it’s very important for us to show a unified body as we begin to move President Trump’s agenda,” Harris told the Washington Examiner. 

Harris also noted that there is no other Republican candidate being floated as speaker, expressing skepticism another lawmaker could get the 218 votes needed to secure the gavel if Johnson isn’t able to. 

“If you don’t have an alternative candidate, for me, that just shows that this is a time that we need to unite around Speaker Johnson, and let’s move the agenda forward,” Harris said. 

Other Republicans similarly expressed concerns that the speaker’s election could drag on for days, arguing it could delay key legislative wins for the party. 

“My number one priority is to secure our border as quickly as possible and to have President Trump’s back,” Rep.-elect Addison McDowell (R-NC) told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “We can’t get to work securing our borders and enacting President Trump’s agenda if we are fighting over a speaker for weeks. Speaker Johnson is a good man, and he has my support. I’m hopeful we can come together and elect him quickly so we can get to work.”

Some freshmen also pointed to Johnson’s campaign efforts during the 2024 election cycle, as he visited more than 210 cities across 40 states to campaign for GOP incumbents and candidates. That travel, they said, was key to Republicans maintaining control of the House. 

“Speaker Johnson played a tremendous role in ensuring Republicans kept our House majority for the 119th Congress, and I am proud to join President Trump in supporting him,” Rep.-elect Tom Barrett (R-MI) said. “Now it’s time to deliver on the promises we made to the American people, which can only happen if we unite behind Speaker Johnson [Friday] and get to work. I look forward to doing just that and getting our country back on track.” 

Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.