Mike Johnson Exits House Speaker Race After GOP Midterm Losses

House Speaker Mike Johnson will not run for the top Republican leadership position in the incoming Congress.

A source familiar with the plans, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the Louisiana Republican intends to step aside. Johnson served two terms in the role, taking office after California Representative Kevin McCarthy was removed in 2023. His departure clears the path for the party to select a new leader for its new role as the minority party.

The decision follows a heavy defeat for Republicans in the recent midterm elections. Historically, the party holding the presidency loses seats in these cycles. This election cycle broke that pattern in reverse, with Democrats flipping seats in states that had previously voted for the president. Johnson acknowledged the historical weight of the loss during remarks on Tuesday night.

"From the first day of this election, we knew that to keep the House and sustain our majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history," Johnson said. He noted that a sitting president has held or gained seats in the first two-year cycle only twice in the last 90 years. "It's very, very difficult to overcome, and it looks like history will be kept tonight," he added.

During his tenure, Johnson worked closely with the Trump administration while managing a razor thin majority. The narrow margin meant that a single defection from a Republican member could stall the party's agenda. This dynamic contrasts with the situation facing the presumptive next speaker, New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries will lead a group with a comfortable margin, giving him more room to achieve priorities even if some members break ranks.

Jeffries would make history as the first Black lawmaker elected to the position of House Speaker. His path to the gavel is less fraught than Johnson's was, though his caucus includes several members elected with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America. These lawmakers have signaled a desire to push the party further to the left.

The Republican conference is scheduled to hold its leadership elections on November 10. That vote will determine who leads the party in the new Congress.