Shreveport, Nov 04 (V7N)- US House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed disappointment over the Republican Party's performance in the 2026 midterm elections but vowed to regain control of the House of Representatives in the 2028 elections.
Speaking at an election-night gathering in Shreveport, Louisiana, Johnson described the night as a difficult one for Republicans, acknowledging the challenges facing his party.
"We are facing a very tough situation," Johnson said while addressing supporters.
Despite the setback, the House Speaker remained optimistic about the party's future, declaring, "We will win back the House and finish the job."
Johnson attributed the Republican difficulties partly to historical trends in US midterm elections. He explained that Republicans had recognised from the beginning that retaining their House majority would require overcoming a long-standing electoral pattern.
According to Johnson, over the past 90 years, there have been only two occasions when the party controlling the White House managed to increase or maintain its House seats during midterm elections held halfway through a presidential term.
He said several political and historical factors make it particularly difficult for the president's party to maintain its congressional strength during midterm elections.
Johnson also cautioned that the full picture of the election results had yet to emerge, as voting was still underway in several western states.
Comparing the Republican election-monitoring centre to the White House Situation Room, he said party officials were closely monitoring results from every congressional district.
The Speaker indicated that he would provide a more comprehensive assessment of the election outcome in the coming days, after the final results were available.
His remarks underline the Republican Party's focus on rebuilding its congressional position ahead of the next US general election in 2028.
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