WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Mike Johnson reportedly told staffers he will not seek to retain his House Republican leadership role in the next Congress.
  • The decision follows Democrats wresting control of the House from Republicans in Tuesday’s elections.
  • Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are being discussed as potential replacements for Johnson.
  • Republicans will choose their new leadership November 10, while candidates must declare by November 6.

House Republicans emerged from Tuesday’s elections after an absolute shellacking, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is reportedly responding with a major decision about his future. Multiple reports circulating Wednesday morning say Johnson plans to step aside from House Republican leadership.

According to those reports, Johnson told several staffers that he will not seek to retain his leadership role in the next Congress. The decision comes only hours after Democrats wrested control of the House from Republicans.

The reported move marks a stunning turn for Johnson following the GOP’s crushing election losses. Rather than seeking to lead the Republican conference from the minority, the speaker is apparently preparing to leave the leadership ranks.

That was not the position Johnson publicly took only a few weeks before the election. His stated intention in October was to remain at the helm regardless of whether Democrats succeeded in flipping the chamber.

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During an October 12 interview with CBS News, Johnson was asked about his future if Republicans lost control of the House. He insisted at the time that he planned to continue serving as the leader of House Republicans.

“My intention is to stay and serve,” Johnson said during that interview. He also said he expected his fellow Republicans to ask him to continue leading the conference in the next Congress.

The contrast between those comments and Wednesday’s reports could hardly be sharper. Johnson went from publicly expecting another leadership term to reportedly informing staffers that he will not seek one.

It is possible that the scale of Republican casualties in Tuesday’s elections changed Johnson’s calculation. The reports surfaced after Democrats captured the House, leaving Republicans to prepare for both minority status and a leadership contest.

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Johnson’s reported decision clears the way for a new Republican leader to emerge in the next Congress. Two House Republicans are already being discussed as potential candidates to replace him in the leadership position.

One name being bandied about is Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who represents OH-04. Jordan is the current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and could become a contender as Republicans determine who will guide their conference.

The other name in circulation is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who represents LA-01. Scalise is also being discussed as a possible replacement for Johnson following the speaker’s reported decision to stand aside.

Republicans are scheduled to choose their new leadership on November 10. That gives members only a short window to sort through their options following an election defeat that cost the party control of the House.

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Potential candidates face an earlier deadline to make their intentions official. November 6 is the deadline for candidates to declare, setting up a rapid contest after Johnson’s reported reversal.

The approaching dates mean Republicans will soon move from absorbing Tuesday’s losses to selecting a new leadership team. For now, Jordan and Scalise are the two names identified in discussions about who could succeed Johnson.

The reports represent a remarkable shift from the confidence Johnson displayed in his CBS News interview. At that point, he expected Republicans to ask him to remain their leader even if Democrats took the House.

Instead, the Republican conference is now preparing to choose someone else, according to the reports. Attention is also shifting to the Senate and Majority Leader John Thune as the political fallout from Tuesday’s elections continues.

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