Mike Johnson wins Republican nomination to retain House speakership

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday won Republican nomination to remain in the position, after President-elect Donald Trump appeared to have backed 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, which brought weeks of chaos to a momentary halt as Republicans struggled to find a replacement after the historical ouster of Kevin McCarthy.

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

NBC News and CNN made the call Wednesday afternoon, with nine House races yet to be projected. 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, Republican majority in the House will remain slim. In order to win the gavel, Johnson will need near-unanimous support from House Republicans to officially become speaker in January, when a full-chamber vote is scheduled to take place.