Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is beginning the hard fight to retain his gavel. The first test will come Wednesday during internal House Republican leadership elections that will establish the new power centers for a Washington dominated by President-elect Donald Trump.

Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged Tuesday he‘s trying to stop the poaching by Donald Trump of his very slender House majority even as he conceded—it isn’t his call. “I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving,

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans are 'ready to deliver' on Trump's mandate after election victory.

So far Republicans have won 213 races, compared to 203 for Democrats, according to calls made by The Associated Press. It takes 218 seats to win a majority in the House. Of the 19 races that are still too close to call, Republicans were ahead in 10 and Democrats in 9.

Lawmakers are back in town this week for the start of what’s called the “lame duck,” the eight-week sprint to finish up this session before the new one begins in January.

House conservatives say they expect to present a challenger to Speaker Mike Johnson in Wednesday's internal GOP leadership elections, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Johnson is the formidable favorite in tomorrow's ballot.

President-elect Donald Trump will meet with House Republicans on Wednesday as the party awaits the prospect of scoring a trifecta in Washington with control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.