House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–LA) handily won reelection on Tuesday, securing a fifth term representing Louisiana‘s 4th congressional District as he fought back a challenge from his Republican opponent.
Johnson defeated Joshua Morott with 86% of the vote, with nearly a third of the ballots counted so far. The Associated Press called the race at 9:36 p.m.
Louisiana operates with a jungle primary system, meaning the top two vote-getters move on to the general election, setting up the Republican vs. Republican general election.
Johnson’s victory comes after an unpredictable year for the GOP leader, who was elevated from being a relatively unknown party member to the top position in the House after lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. Since then, Johnson has taken on the responsibilities of fundraising and has traversed the country to stump for candidates in an effort to defend Republicans’ slim majority.
If Republicans manage to keep, or even expand, their majority, that bodes well for Johnson’s hopes of remaining the party leader. But if they don’t, that could prompt Johnson to step down from leadership — igniting a battle for the top party position.
Johnson expressed confidence in Republicans’ chances to keep the majority, telling reporters on Tuesday night that while it’s “too early to call everything,” he remained “very optimistic.”
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“It looks good. I’ve been in the war room. I’m calling the candidates as they’re calling the races,” he said. “All our friends were congratulating them. We’ve got some awesome people joining the conference, we’ve got new members coming in, and I think we’re going to have many more.”
Shortly after his race was called, Johnson told reporters he would fly to Mar-a-Lago to join former President Donald Trump in watching the presidential results roll in.
