Mike Johnson Won’t Lead The GOP Minority — Two Republicans Are Trying To Replace Him So Far

As Republicans grapple with the ramifications of the midterm elections, many are turning attention to who will lead the House GOP in the aftermath.

Current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) seemed to indicate before Tuesday that he would be interested in remaining in leadership as House Minority Leader if Republicans lost the election, but the staunch Trump ally told staffers Wednesday morning he will not stay in his leadership role. 

It’s unclear whether Johnson would’ve been able to stay in power even if he had wanted to. One Republican told Axios that every member of GOP leadership would face a challenger following the election results, while another said there’s a good chance Johnson would be ousted.

Johnson had spent months expressing confidence that Republicans would retain control of the House. On Tuesday night, however, he acknowledged the difficult results.

“It’s only happened twice in 90 years that a sitting president has picked up or held seats for his party in that first two-year cycle,” Johnson told supporters in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. “It’s very, very difficult to overcome, and it looks like history will be kept here tonight.”

The first names to surface as possible replacements for Johnson are House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). Jordan, a longtime favorite of the conservative wing of the GOP, told colleagues Wednesday morning he’d throw his hat in the ring. 

Scalise, who has been in House GOP leadership for 12 years, also reportedly launched his bid Wednesday morning.

Jordan previously took a run at becoming House Speaker after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy in 2023, but was unable to garner enough support from moderate and establishment Republicans. Many of those members have since been ousted from the chamber, however.

The Republican Conference is scheduled to hold its leadership elections on November 10, with candidates required to declare their intentions by November 6. 

Meanwhile, Democrats are preparing for a major leadership transition following their victory. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is expected to become the next speaker when the new Congress convenes in January, though he’s faced some resistance from his left flank.