House Republicans are meeting behind closed doors Wednesday to elect leadership for the next Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-MN), and Majority Leader Tom Emmer (R-MN) are all running for their current positions again. No challenger had been announced as of Tuesday afternoon.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, RN.C., is also running for re-election.
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House Majority Leader Tom Emmer (left), House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise are also candidates for the same role. (Getty Images)
Each of the four leaders will have to pitch themselves before the House Republican conference Wednesday morning, with elections expected to be held later that afternoon.
But a fight is expected for the leadership of the No. 5 and No. 6 Republicans in the House. Three House Republicans (Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind.; Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla.; and Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.) have announced that they are running for chair of the House Republican Conference. I admitted it.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) is not running for the role again after being selected by the new Trump administration to be ambassador to the United Nations.
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House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik will not run again. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
This position will be responsible for overseeing and implementing conference messages and setting up conference-wide meetings.
Two Republicans are also vying for the chair of the House Republican Policy Committee. Republican Research Committee Chairman Kevin Hahn (R-Okla.) is challenging current policy chairman Gary Palmer (R-Ala.).
Hahn, who heads the House Republican Party's de facto conservative think tank, is term-limited and has been actively campaigning for the role.
Fox News Digital obtained a flier on Tuesday in which Hahn's staff was distributing fliers to fellow Republicans touting their support for Hahn's low-level leadership role.
Democrats are quietly worried about losing the chamber after Republicans win the White House and the Senate.
Republican Research Committee Chairman Kevin Hahn is running for the House Republican Policy Committee. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, via Getty Images)
Even if Wednesday's election ends without drama, Johnson will have to work to win the support of hardline Republican skeptics before a full House vote. Some have already suggested that persuasion from the chair is needed. For speakers in January.
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The selection of the Speaker of the House requires the approval of a majority of the House of Representatives. The final numbers are not yet known, but Republicans are widely expected to maintain a narrow single-digit majority.
This is a valuable opportunity for Johnson to win the gavel again and avoid a scenario like the infamous 15th round for speaker, endured by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in early 2022. This means that there is room for slight dissenting opinions.
