If Republicans lose their House majority in the midterm elections, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) should offer his resignation as the top Republican.
Whether his colleagues accept it is another matter. They might decide Johnson remains their best option. But that decision should be made through a vote of incoming members, conducted by secret ballot under House Republican Conference rules.
Johnson has said he expects to remain leader. That ignores the obligation of party leadership to accept responsibility for the outcome of an election.
Democrats are on track to win a majority — a reality that anyone who isn’t being paid to say otherwise will admit. If House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) takes the speaker’s gavel, Johnson should put his position on the table.
Johnson, who became speaker by accident, inherited what can charitably be called a difficult assignment. To be fair, his narrow majority, combined with the usual dynamics of a midterm cycle, would have tested anyone.
Still, a leader must accept responsibility for defeat.
Potential successors include House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), also a Louisianan, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the outgoing House Judiciary Committee chairman.
Jordan’s pugnacious style may be particularly suited to the minority.
That distinction matters because the kind of leader a party chooses when in majority and responsible for passing legislation is not always the kind of leader it needs when relegated to the minority.
Of course, House Republicans must decide what approach they would take in the minority.
Will their principal mission be brawling with Democrats to defend President Donald Trump? Or will they choose someone who can help chart a road map out of the political wilderness?
Trump will still occupy the White House. But Republicans cannot effectively prepare for 2028 if everything they decide is based on who among their ranks is the lame-duck president’s most enthusiastic and most loyal supporter.
Then there are the wild cards.
Would Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI), who chairs the House Republican Conference, make a run for minority leader? Not only does she come from the critical battleground state of Michigan, but she would also offer Republicans something they have never had: a woman in their top House leadership position.
McClain, first elected in 2020, owes much of her rise to her politically astute chief of staff, Nick Hawatmeh. Well connected, particularly among senior staff, he has worked in both wings of the Capitol. That kind of established network matters in leadership contests.
Of course, Johnson could remain leader for the same reason he became speaker of the House. Those who wanted the job couldn’t get the votes, while those who could get the votes didn’t want the job.
Leading Republicans in the minority could prove especially thankless.
Trump will undoubtedly expect Republicans to make defending him their priority. Members focused on winning back the House and keeping the White House in 2028 may see his demands as an obstacle to both goals.
In the end, Johnson might remain conference leader because nobody else wants the job.
MIKE JOHNSON DENIES SPENDING CUTS IN KEY RACES ARE A SIGN OF SHRINKING MAP FOR REPUBLICANS
But that is an argument his colleagues should make after an honest reckoning in the aftermath of the midterm elections.
By offering his resignation, Johnson would demonstrate the humility he has often projected during his three-year tenure as speaker.
Dennis Lennox is a columnist, political commentator, and Republican public affairs consultant. Follow @dennislennox on X.