Rep. Tom Emmer picked to be GOP whip for U.S. House
WASHINGTON -- Tom Emmer, the U.S. representative from Minnesota, has been elected as the GOP whip in the U.S. House.
On Tuesday, House Republicans made the announcement, saying he'll be the Republican Majority Whip for the 118th Congress.
It'll be the third most powerful job in the U.S. House, if the GOP does indeed win the majority.
"It is an honor to be entrusted by my colleagues with the role of Majority Whip. Now the hard work begins. It's time to unite our conference and deliver on our promises to the American people," Emmer said in a statement.
CBS News estimates the GOP will win at least 216 seats and Democrats will control at least 211. Republican candidates are leading in several battleground races in which CBS News has not projected a winner.
House Republicans nominated Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the current minority leader, as their candidate for speaker of the House on Tuesday, with McCarthy overcoming a conservative challenger as the party inches closer to winning control of the lower chamber.
RELATED: Kevin McCarthy wins GOP nomination for House speaker
Earlier this month, Emmer won reelection in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, defeating DFL challenger Jeanne Hendricks. Republicans have held the district - which encompasses the northwestern suburbs of the Twin Cities and St. Cloud - since 2003.
Emmer, who was first elected to Congress in 2014, is leading the GOP's campaign efforts in turning the House red. He currently chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee.
