Though by the time he spoke it was clear he’d keep his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, for Mike Johnson his job inside the Capitol and a great deal of the political capital he’d amassed since assuming the role of Speaker of the House was still on the line.
Shreveport-born U.S. Rep Mike Johnson returned to his home district on Election Night to watch the election results roll in from around the country and in his home state, including his own. Along with local leaders, friends and allies, Johnson watched the nation’s most anticipated decision as it unfolded Tuesday night at the Remington Suite Hotel and Spa in downtown Shreveport while, behind the scenes, keeping in touch with fellow Republicans running in races nationwide in whose victories the Speaker now has much invested.
Johnson won a fifth term representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District Tuesday with 86% of the vote, according to the complete but unofficial results. The results of the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris weren’t known before Johnson finally spoke to those attending his watch party at the Remington Hotel around 9:15 p.m. But when he did, he projected confidence Republicans were set to sweep the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the White House.
“It’s too early to call everything but we’re very optimistic. I mean, it looks good. I’ve been in the war room. I’m calling the candidates as they’re calling the races. All of our friends are congratulating them,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be a good night.”
Johnson’s rise to Speaker of the House last year after Congressional Republicans booted Kevin McCarthy after messy party infighting rocketed him from a Louisiana Congressman, first elected in 2015, with a junior leadership position to second in line for the presidency. He has, ever since, defied expectations by wrangling fellow Congressional Republicans and positioning himself as Trump’s highest-ranking ally. Johnson spent election season barnstorming the nation on behalf of embattled Republicans, hoping to grow party power.
The job, which Johnson has admitted offered him much less time to return to his home district even to campaign for his own seat in Congress, is the highest position in U.S. government ever achieved by a Louisianan.
“It’s been a wild ride for us. I have had to travel the state of course and get reelected and take care of all the issues and things here, but then we also had to travel the country because the Speaker of the House’s job is to ensure we keep and grow our House majority and that we get really qualified candidates in these races to flip some of the blue seats to red,” Johnson said. “Can I give good report tonight? I think that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Hundreds attended the watch party Tuesday. Many were prominent local Republicans there to support Johnson while still keeping one eye on the CNN and Fox News broadcasts projected onto screens set up on the hotel patio — the presidential race was still unsettled.
“I just came out tonight to support Mike Johnson. He’s done a great job representing Louisiana and the United States as Speaker of the House,” said Bossier School Board member Eric Newman. “I’m here supporting Mike and Team Trump. I’m looking for a red wave.”
Though Johnson made a later-than-expected appearance, he’d had a busy day. He woke up in Pennsylvania.
“In Pennsylvania, the rules are a bit different. You can electioneer at the polls. You can go up to within 10 feet of the polls. So him and (U.S. Rep) Ryan Mckenzie and (candidate) Rob Bresnahan were out there shaking hands,” Griffin Neal, Johnson’s spokesman, said.
Johnson told his supporters he’s lead 342 campaign events in 260 cities across 40 states and has traveled enough miles to circle the globe five times. He said, also, he planned to fly a few more Tuesday night after the party.
“I’m so, so grateful for all of you for helping us along the way. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Johnson said. “We’re watching everything very closely tonight, and it may be a long night. I think in a little bit we’re going to go to Mar-a-Lago and be down there with President Trump. But I think, at the end of the night, when they tabulate all this I’m very hopeful that we’re going to have not only a larger majority in the House to make my job easier, but we’re going to retake the Senate and the White House as well.”
