GOP keeps control of House, nominates Johnson as speaker

House Republicans on Wednesday unanimously selected current speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as their nominee to continue in the role. Lawmakers first appointed Johnson to the position in October last year after the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. GOP members of the House on Wednesday also elected Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., as the majority leader and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., as majority whip. Johnson on Wednesday said Republican lawmakers are eager to work with President-elect Donald Trump. He said the party has begun working on issues including border security, the cost of living, and international relations. He will face a full House vote in the new year before he assumes the role.

When did Republicans officially secure control of the House? The GOP on Wednesday won 218 House seats to retain the majority in the lower chamber of Congress, more than a week after Election Day. Representatives Ken Calvert, R-Calif., and Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., held on to their seats Wednesday, and pushed the Republicans to meet the threshold for a majority, according to unofficial results reported by the Associated Press. As of Thursday morning, nine House seats in California, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Oregon have still not been called and Democrats currently have 208 seats.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about Rep. Johnson’s nomination for Speaker of the House.