Before the new Congress can do anything — including certifying Donald J. Trump as the winner of the 2024 presidential election — the House will need to elect its speaker in a vote scheduled for Friday.
For decades, that was largely a formality devoid of any drama. But two years ago, a Republican revolt prolonged the process for four agonizing days and 15 contentious votes, laying bare the party’s divisions and setting the stage for a combative session.
Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana in November won unanimous support from House Republicans for another term as speaker, and he has Mr. Trump’s endorsement. But he is facing resistance from hard-right members of his party, and given his razor-thin majority, which could leave him room for only one defection, his re-election is no certainty.
Mr. Johnson acknowledged on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday that he could “only afford to lose one or two” Republican votes on Friday if he wanted to win the gavel.
No Republican has emerged to challenge Mr. Johnson, and the G.O.P. is facing overwhelming pressure to get the process over with quickly this year so that Congress can certify Mr. Trump’s election as scheduled on Monday.
But at least one Republican has already said he will not back Mr. Johnson, with others expressing concerns about his leadership. If Mr. Johnson fails to cobble together a majority, the House could face a deadlock similar to the one that took hold in 2023, which could mean several votes before lawmakers finally elect a speaker.