Mike Johnson will not seek House Republican leadership after election losses
After Democrats captured the House majority, Johnson told staff he would not lead Republicans in the new Congress. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan are seeking the post.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told his staff on Wednesday, November 4, that he would not remain Republican leader in the next Congress, NBC News reported, citing four people on the call. The announcement came after Democrats captured the House majority in Tuesday’s election, leaving Republicans to select a minority leader.
Scalise and Jordan enter the leadership contest
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced his bid in a letter to Republican colleagues on Wednesday, NBC News reported. Scalise, a Louisiana Republican and close Johnson ally, described the election as “far worse than any of us expected” and said the party needed to be honest about what happened and emerge stronger and united.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio also told colleagues in a Wednesday letter that he was running. Jordan, a former House Oversight Committee chairman, said he was prepared to counter Democratic investigations of President Donald Trump. He wrote that Republicans needed leadership able to keep the conference unified and coordinate its response. The party was scheduled to hold an internal election for its nominee on November 10; that vote had not yet taken place.
The contest is unfolding amid calls from some Republicans for a broader leadership reset. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida criticized the party’s leaders on X, arguing they had alienated conservatives and governed out of fear. NBC News also reported that Rep. August Pfluger, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, planned to challenge Tom Emmer for the whip position, a separate leadership post.
Johnson says he will keep pursuing the party’s agenda
In remarks to supporters in Shreveport, Johnson said Republicans would not be deterred by one election and would double down on their agenda, Euronews reported. He predicted the party would take back the House in 2028. Those public remarks were separate from the staff-call account of his decision not to seek the leadership post.
Johnson won re-election to his House seat on Tuesday and was expected to remain in Congress next year, NBC News reported. It was unclear whether he would serve the full two-year term or leave early. He became speaker in October 2023 after Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy.
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Sources and context
- House Speaker Mike Johnson won’t stay on as Republican leader after GOP lossesNBC News
- Video. ‘We will take back the House in 2028’: US House Speaker Johnson promises Republican comebackEuronews
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.