Politics & Government
Minnesota's Tom Emmer Elected As Republican House Whip
Rep. Tom Emmer's promotion comes after he was blamed and heavily criticized for his party's poor performance in the 2022 midterm elections.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday afternoon, House Republicans gathered in Washington D.C. for leadership elections for the 118th Congress. Among the winners was Minnesota 8th District Rep. Tom Emmer, who was elected as the party whip.
Emmer currently chairs the National Republican Campaign Committee. He was elected to the No. 3 spot in the House on Tuesday despite being blamed for his party's subpar performance in the 2022 midterms.
An article in the conservative magazine, National Review, argued that Emmer did not "does not deserve to be GOP whip" after the Election Day woes.
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And Reps. Jim Banks and Drew Ferguson — two Donald Trump-style Republicans — mounted serious challenges against Emmer for the role, though they ultimately lost out.
As whip, Emmer will be tasked with mobilizing Republican House members for important bills and party measures that are coming up for a vote.
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According to the U.S. House website, the "whip" title comes from Great Britain, where the House of Commons had party "whips" since the 18th century.
The first Republican whip in U.S. history was James A. Tawney of Minnesota, according to U.S. House historians.
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