Speaker Johnson won’t seek GOP leader post after party loses House
His decision sets up a fight between Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan to lead a smaller Republican conference into the minority.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek to lead House Republicans in the minority after Democrats won control of the chamber in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to two people familiar with his decision.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose his plans to The Associated Press. Johnson, who won a sixth term in his Shreveport-area district, is expected to stay in the House as a rank-and-file member when the new Congress convenes in January.
His decision immediately set off a contest to replace him.
Familiar rivals
Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana said in a letter to colleagues that “the election was far worse than any of us expected” and that he would run for the top job because the stakes could not be higher.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also entered the race. In his own letter to colleagues, Jordan described himself as “battle-tested.”
The two have faced off before. Both sought the speaker’s gavel in 2023 after Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy in a first-of-its-kind vote. Neither could win enough support, and the conference turned to Johnson as a consensus choice.
Jordan, a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, has long been the favorite of the party’s conservative wing. Scalise has courted support from conservatives as well as lawmakers focused on business and energy.
Republicans who will serve in the next Congress are expected to choose their leader when members-elect gather in Washington next week.
Other races are also taking shape. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, the outgoing chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is challenging Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota for the No. 2 post.
A short tenure
Johnson’s exit caps a swift rise. A lower-ranking member of leadership, he was elected speaker in 2023 after colleagues could not agree on anyone else.
He drew close to President Donald Trump, describing near-daily phone calls with the president. He led the House to pass the Republican tax and spending package that Trump signed into law last year.
Johnson managed one of the narrowest majorities in modern times. Critics in both parties faulted him for sending lawmakers home to avoid difficult votes, including a recent effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Before the election, Johnson insisted Republicans would defy history and keep the House. “We’re going to win, so I don’t have to answer that question,” he told NOTUS earlier this year when asked about serving as minority leader.
A new speaker
The speaker’s gavel is expected to pass to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who would become the first Black speaker. The House will elect its speaker as one of its first votes on Jan. 3, 2027.
Whoever leads House Republicans will inherit a smaller conference facing a Democratic majority that has promised wide-ranging investigations of the Trump administration.
The new leader will also be responsible for trying to win back the majority in 2028. The president’s party historically loses seats in midterm elections, and Republicans had defended a majority of just a few seats heading into Tuesday.
Johnson did not immediately address his plans publicly. He will remain speaker through the end of the current Congress, when lawmakers face a Dec. 11 deadline to fund the government.
Senate Republicans will also move into the minority in January. Thune is expected to remain the leader of his conference, while Schumer is in line to become majority leader.
