Johnson will not seek House GOP leadership after election losses

House Speaker Mike Johnson told his staff Wednesday morning that he will not lead House Republicans in the new Congress, stepping aside after Democrats won control of the chamber in the midterm elections.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, made the announcement on a phone call, according to four people on the call who spoke to NBC News. CBS News also reported the decision, citing a person familiar with the matter. He will not run for House minority leader when the new Congress convenes in January.

The decision follows extensive Republican losses in House races Tuesday. CBS News projected that Democrats will take control of the House in January; NBC News reported that Democrats had won the majority. With Republicans set to become the minority party, Johnson’s announcement leaves the position of House minority leader open.

House Republicans plan to hold their leadership election Nov. 10, according to a GOP aide familiar with the planning who spoke to CBS News. NBC News also reported that Republicans are scheduled to hold an internal election that day to select their candidate for minority leader.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are considered likely candidates for the role, according to CBS News. Neither report identified any other prospective candidates.

Johnson had recently told CBS News that he intended to remain the party’s leader if Republicans lost control of the House. Wednesday’s announcement reverses that stated intention. His plans after the current Congress are not known, NBC News reported.

Johnson has served two terms as speaker, according to NBC News. He first won the post in 2023 after House Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California from the speakership.

The staff call came a day after the elections that cost Republicans their House majority. Johnson’s decision concerns the party leadership post in the next Congress, rather than his current position as speaker.