Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., prevailed Tuesday in a three-way race to become the House majority whip for the next Congress.
"It is an honor to be entrusted by my colleagues with the role of majority whip," said Emmer in a statement on his website. "Now the hard work begins. It's time to unite our conference and deliver on our promises to the American people."
Emmer will replace Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who was elected as House Republican Conference majority leader during Tuesday's voting session. Although some House races from the midterm elections are still too close to call, Newsmax already projects that Republicans will hold the majority in the lower chamber when the 118th Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Emmer, the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, beat out Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., a close ally of former President Donald Trump, and Rep. Drew Ferguson, Ga. for the whip post, the Washington Examiner reported.
The whip represents the No. 3 position in party leadership and assists in managing the GOP's legislative program on the House floor.
The lackluster performance of the GOP in the midterm elections, with many pundits and politicians expecting a so-called "red wave," threw some uncertainty into the whip race.
Emmer's whip chances looked good before the election when Republicans were expected to easily win control of the House. But now, the GOP might only enjoy a razor-thin majority in the chamber.
In the closed-door, secret-ballot vote, Ferguson was eliminated on the first ballot, the Examiner reported, trailing Emmer by just one vote. In the second round of voting, Emmer topped Banks 115-106.
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