Donald Trump's backers failed to take down Liz Cheney. But the GOP's 'civil war' is nowhere near over.

Donald Trump and his allies lost the first battle for post-election control of the Republican Party Wednesday night – but not without a fight, making clear that the political war within the GOP is nowhere near over.

House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in her leadership position despite her January impeachment vote against the now-former president. The secret-ballot vote was overwhelmingly in Cheney's favor, 145-61.

Nevertheless, Trump's backers have vowed to defeat Cheney and other Republicans who voted for his impeachment in their future political races.

Others said the contentious House Republican meeting showed how much the party remains in thrall to Trump, despite his election defeat and his impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by extremist supporters.

Republican strategist Liz Mair said Cheney's survival as House leader is "a defeat for the Trumpers," but the former president and his supporters will continue to put pressure on GOP lawmakers and candidates.

"A lot of these people are very scared of Trump and his backers and fear can often wind up dominating," she said.

While voting on the demotion of Cheney, the party's highest-ranking female member, House Republicans did not even consider punishment for far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist whose social media posts have expressed support for violence against political opponents.

The furious intra-party feud will only continue as the Senate opens the second impeachment trial of Trump next week and politicians in both parties gear up for 2022 congressional elections.