Orange bar chart showing the Speakers since 1883 with the shortest House tenures before their first election to the speakership. John G. Carlisle has the shortest tenure with 6.75 days in office before his speakership began. Mike Johnson, elected on Oct. 25, 2023, was in office for 6.81 years before. The list also includes Charles F. Crisp with 8.8 years, Dennis Hastert with 12 years, Thomas Brackett Reed with 12.8 years as well as Newt Gingrich and Kevin McCarthy, both with 16 years.