House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek the House minority leader post
House Speaker Mike Johnson will not run for House minority leader in the next Congress after Republicans lost control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, sources told NBC News, CBS News and USA Today. Johnson won reelection in Louisiana. Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are likely contenders; Republicans plan to vote on leadership Nov. 10.
More context
After Republicans’ midterm losses, House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek the House minority leader post in the new Congress. Johnson told staff on a call Wednesday morning, according to sources cited by NBC News, CBS News and USA Today. He won reelection to his Louisiana congressional district, but Democrats are set to hold the House majority; USA Today reported Democrats also won the Senate majority. In a statement after Democrats claimed the House majority, Johnson said Republicans “will never stop fighting to defend the Constitution.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are considered likely candidates to replace him. The Washington Post reported both had signaled plans to run regardless of Johnson’s intentions. House Republicans are scheduled to hold an internal leadership election Nov. 10, according to CBS News.
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Reporting
- CBS News — Speaker Mike Johnson won't seek another term as House GOP leader after midterm losses - CBS News
- USA Today — House Speaker Mike Johnson won't run for minority leader
- The Washington Post — Mike Johnson won’t seek House minority leader position after midterm losses - The Washington Post
- WHEC News10NBC — The Latest: Speaker Mike Johnson won't seek reelection as House GOP leader, AP source says - WHEC.com
- Roll Call — Mike Johnson won’t seek top GOP spot as House flips - Roll Call
- Spectrum News — Speaker Johnson won’t seek GOP leader role after midterms
- PBS News (with Associated Press) — Johnson won't seek reelection as House speaker after Republican wipeout | PBS News
- NBC News — House Speaker Mike Johnson will not stay on as Republican leader after GOP losses
Verifier’s note
CBS News, USA Today, The Washington Post, WHEC.com, Roll Call, Spectrum News, PBS NewsHour, and NBC News all report that Johnson will not seek the House Republican leader role after the GOP losses. The reports were published on November 4, consistent with the proposed event’s timing.