With Republicans on the cusp of retaking the House of Representatives majority, Kevin McCarthy has won his party’s nomination to be speaker in the new Congress.
In a closed-door vote on Tuesday, he secured 188 votes in his bid for leadership of the House.
Mr McCarthy must win a majority vote of the full House – 218 votes – in January to secure the role.
If he wins, he would replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.
President Joe Biden’s Democrats have already kept control of the Senate.