House Speaker Mike Johnson was declared the winner Tuesday night in his effort to keep Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District solidly red, according to The Associated Press.
The four-term congressman was first elected in 2016 but gained prominence as a leader in the GOP after he was elected by his fellow members of Congress last year to replace former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. Johnson was previously vice chair of the House GOP conference.
Johnson’s victory Tuesday in his reliably red district came with little resistance. Democrats did not enter a candidate in the race. Joshua Morott, a Republican substitute teacher with little experience in politics, was Johnson’s only challenger.
Johnson’s district sits in the northwest corner of the state and is home to Shreveport, Louisiana’s third most populous city.
Despite lacking any true competition, Johnson still led his party’s fundraising efforts this election cycle. He brought in more than $19 million for his own campaign and $8 million for other GOP candidates, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana has been at the center of a redistricting battle, and earlier this year the state’s congressional map was redrawn to include two Black majority districts. The state is still facing legal challenges over whether the new maps unfairly discriminate against voters.
Johnson’s future as GOP leader remains uncertain even if Republicans maintain control of the House after Tuesday’s election. Johnson has said he wants to continue in the leadership role if Republicans keep the House.
However, he has not indicated anything about his plans if they do not. People close to Johnson have said he would likely step down, according to NBC News.
Even if Republicans keep the House, a handful of them have signaled they either will not support Johnson to remain speaker or are unsure whether they would support him.
In addition to his duties as speaker, Johnson serves on the House Judiciary Committee and is chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.