Mike Johnson Will Continue to Lead the House GOP After Republicans Vote to Keep Him in Power

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been reelected as the leader of the House Republican Conference.

Johnson earned the support of his party on Wednesday, Nov. 13, to carry on in his current role at the helm of the House GOP, which includes setting priorities for the conference and acting as a spokesperson for its members.

Though Johnson was reelected as the Republican leader, it's not yet certain whether he will retain his position as speaker of the entire House. Many House races have not been called yet in the 2024 elections and the House majority for the upcoming Congress has not been formally decided, though Republicans are expected to hold a narrow majority over Democrats.

If Republicans do win the majority in the House, they will nominate Johnson as their speaker candidate during the speakership election in January, where members of all parties get to cast a vote.

Johnson — who first gained prominence for leading one of the efforts to reject the results of the last presidential election — represents the fourth district of Louisiana, and recently won his fifth two-year term in the House.

On Oct. 25, 2023, Johnson was elected unanimously by his Republican counterparts to become their nominee for speaker of the House, after a vacancy opened when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Before leaping to the top of the ranks, he had served as vice chairman of the House GOP and deputy whip.

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In the 2024 elections, Republicans gained control of the Senate, picking up four seats in total. In the new Congress, Republicans will have 53 seats to Democrats' 47.

On Nov. 13, Senate Republicans elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune to succeed longtime GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell in January.