Mike Johnson wins Republican nomination to retain House speakership

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday won the Republican nomination to remain in the position, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appeared to back him during a meeting with House Republicans.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, was elected House Speaker in a full chamber vote of 220-209, with unanimous Republican support, in October 2023, bringing weeks of chaos to a momentary halt as Republicans struggled to find a replacement following the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy, Xinhua news agency reported.

Multiple U.S. media outlets projected on Wednesday that Republicans will win enough seats to retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, with the party securing at least 218 seats — the threshold to maintain a majority in the 435-member chamber.

NBC News and CNN made the call on Wednesday noon, with nine House races still undecided.

So far, Republicans have flipped seven seats from Democrats, while Democrats have flipped six seats from Republicans, resulting in a tally of 218 to 208.

Despite the victory, the Republican majority in the House will remain slim.

To officially become Speaker in January, Johnson will need near-unanimous support from House Republicans when a full-chamber vote is scheduled to take place.