Lawmakers are back in town this week for the start of what’s called the “lame duck,” the eight-week sprint to finish up this session before the new one begins in January.

House conservatives say they expect to present a challenger to Speaker Mike Johnson in Wednesday's internal GOP leadership elections, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Johnson is the formidable favorite in tomorrow's ballot.

So far Republicans have won 213 races, compared to 203 for Democrats, according to calls made by The Associated Press. It takes 218 seats to win a majority in the House. Of the 19 races that are still too close to call, Republicans were ahead in 10 and Democrats in 9.