House Speaker Mike Johnson told his staff Wednesday morning that he will not run for minority leader in the new Congress, one day after Democrats seized the House majority in the midterm elections — a decision that hands the top Republican post to a contest between Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who won reelection Tuesday to his Shreveport-area district, made the announcement on a staff call Wednesday, multiple outlets reported. He is expected to remain in Congress as a rank-and-file member when the new Congress convenes in January, though whether he serves out his full two-year term is unresolved.
Jordan and Scalise Vie for the Minority Leader Post
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, moved quickly to claim the job. In a letter to colleagues obtained by CBS News, Jordan wrote that This is a staggering day for our Conference,
adding: For too long, we have operated without a clear plan to survive the hour or the day in front of us. That will not cut it against an emboldened and energetic Democrat majority.
🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS — MIKE JOHNSON will not run for House minority leader. He just said it on the staff call.
Jordan argued he was battle-tested on the oversight front
as Democrats prepare investigations into the Trump administration. I know the Democrats’ playbook,
he wrote. I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics.
Jordan is poised to face a significant challenge from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a fellow Louisianan and close Johnson ally who also plans to run. Both men previously sought the speakership in October 2023 after Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy but failed to consolidate support, paving the way for Johnson’s rise. A candidate for speaker needs a majority of the entire House, but minority leader requires only a majority of the party — making the race easier to win, as Fox News noted.
Republicans are scheduled to hold their internal leadership election on Tuesday, Nov. 10, one week after Election Day.
From Obscurity to the Speakership
Johnson’s decision marks a swift fall for a speaker who once insisted he would stay on. In a June 29 interview, he told USA Today he intended to keep steady hands at the wheel
of GOP leadership after the midterms. In October he reiterated that he planned to remain the party’s leader even if Republicans lost the House.
But he had also fueled speculation about his future. Told Fox News on Oct. 8: If heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don’t know what my next chapter of life is. I’m just open to it.
He added: If God moves on our hearts and says we should go back to my hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business, I’ll do that with equal fervor.
He later called the remark tongue in cheek
.
On Tuesday night, speaking from Shreveport, Johnson said: It’s 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.
Republicans first elected him speaker in October 2023 after weeks of chaos following McCarthy’s ouster; he was the party’s fourth nominee, after Tom Emmer, Scalise and Jordan failed to unite the conference. Republicans reelected him to the speakership in 2025.
Pfluger Challenges Emmer for Minority Leadership
The shakeup extends beyond the top job. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill, announced he would challenge Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota for the No. 2 leadership spot in the minority, writing that Republicans need fresh ideas and a leadership team committed to rebuilding a culture with a clear game plan to win in 2028.
Whoever wins minority leader will become President Donald Trump’s top defender in the House against Democratic-led investigations. The speaker’s gavel is expected to pass to Democrats, who are preparing to nominate House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York for the job, with the House speaker’s election among the first votes of the new Congress on Jan. 3, 2027.
🚨 BREAKING: Mike Johnson will not seek another term as Republican leader in the House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/Fzqc7vA4eq
More on Jim Jordan
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: Speaker Mike Johnson STEPPING ASIDE as House Republican leader, after GOP gets slaughtered. He announced his decision on a private call with staff this morning, according to people on the call. As the Speakership goes to the Democrats now, and likely Hakeem… pic.twitter.com/iOrxfLUamv
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