House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told staff Wednesday morning that he will not seek to become House minority leader in the next Congress, sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner.
Johnson’s decision comes after steep Republican losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections, where Democrats swept several House and Senate races to gain control of both chambers. Johnson’s bowing out of the race clears the way for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to throw their hats into the ring.
Scalise plans to announce his run for minority leader later on Wednesday, a source familiar told the Washington Examiner. Scalise will make the argument that he is a “proven and tested leader who is ready on day one” and that his “number one goal will be to lead the conference back into the majority.”
“He’s spent his career unifying Republicans and he is prepared for the big legislative and oversight battles ahead,” the source said. “The conference knows him, how he fights, and that he’s a trusted leader.”
Jordan, meanwhile, is expected to make the case that new blood is needed in leadership, highlighting his previous work on congressional investigations. according to Punchbowl News. The pitch comes as Democrats are poised to launch several inquiries into President Donald Trump and his allies.
Johnson’s stepping away from the top Republican spot leaves his future in the House Republican conference unclear but falls in line with precedent from previous GOP speakers after a party suffers losses in a midterm election.
Johnson told supporters Tuesday night that it has been the “honor of my life to serve as the 56th speaker of the House, not a position we ever aspired to or expected to have.”
MIKE JOHNSON SAYS IT ‘LOOKS LIKE HISTORY WILL BE KEPT’ FOR REPUBLICANS LOSING HOUSE MAJORITY
“Republicans will not be deterred by the outcome of one election,” Johnson said. “In fact, you know what we do? We double down. We double down. All right? We will continue pressing forward with our agenda of common sense and our vision to make America great again. And come 2028, we will take back the House, and we will finish this job.”
Johnson first won the speaker’s gavel in 2023 after Republicans ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and failed to coalesce around a new leader on several ballot votes, leading to a weekslong standoff among conference members.