Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has begun a bullish campaign to stay on as Speaker of the House with the expectation that Republicans will retain the House in addition to retaking the Senate and the White House.
He sent a letter to GOP colleagues on Wednesday, asking for their support in the House-wide election that will likely take place in January as the next session of Congress gets underway.
“I’m ready to take the field with all of you, and I am humbly asking for your support to continue leading this Conference as your Speaker,” Johnson said.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve with you thus far, and I look forward to playing the biggest offense of our lives. We have a country to save — and we will,” he added.
The GOP-led House elected Johnson to be the speaker in October 2023 after then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was cast out of the role he won earlier that year after multiple rounds of voting.
During his one year in the top leadership position, Johnson had to contend with not just a Democrat-led Senate and President Joe Biden, but also a narrow GOP majority on matters such as government spending.
That power dynamic is now set to change as Republicans won back the Senate in the 2024 election, and former President Donald Trump was re-elected to the White House after losing in 2020.
For the House, the situation is less clear.
Republicans were projected to win 210 races while Democrats had 194 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Decision Desk HQ. A party needs 218 seats for a majority.
Although Decision Desk HQ said Republicans had a 95% chance to stay in control of the House, Democrats were not quite ready to admit defeat.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) released a statement insisting the chamber “remains very much in play,” citing races that have yet to be called in Arizona, Oregon, Iowa, and California.
“The party that will hold the majority in the House of Representatives in January 2025 has yet to be determined,” he added. “We must count every vote.”
During his victory speech in Florida, Trump thanked Johnson — who was clapping nearby on the stage.
Johnson has been “doing a terrific job,” Trump said.
In his letter to fellow GOP lawmakers, Johnson listed a number of policy priorities in line with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
“The mandate that has been delivered shows that a majority of Americans are eager for secure borders, lower costs, peace through strength, and a return to common sense,” he said.
“With unified Republican government, if we meet this historic moment together, the next two years can result in the most consequential Congress of the modern era,” Johnson added.
It was not immediately clear whether any other Republicans will run for the speaker’s gavel this time around.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) also sent a letter to GOP colleagues seeking their support for another stint in his leadership position.
Scalise laid out a “First 100-Day Agenda” that included locking in the “Trump Tax Cuts,” as well as plans to “unleash American energy” and “surge resources to the southern border.”
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