Mike Johnson won't seek reelection as Republican leader following midterm losses - report

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan expressed interest in succeeding Johnson, outlining plans in letters to colleagues.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek another term as House Republican leader following the party's major losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Johnson informed staff of his decision during a call on Wednesday morning, according to the report.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio have both expressed interest in succeeding Johnson, outlining their plans in letters to Republican colleagues on Wednesday, CBS News reported.

"My number one goal as Republican Leader will be to win back the majority and I expect you to hold me accountable to that mission," Scalise wrote in a letter obtained by CBS News.

"To succeed, we will need to be effective in both the oversight and legislative fights ahead, but we will also need to lay out a clear and optimistic vision for America."

"This is a staggering day for our Conference," Jordan wrote in his, according to CBS News. "For too long, we have operated without a clear plan to survive the hour or the day in front of us. That will not cut it against an emboldened and energetic Democrat majority."

"I know the Democrats' playbook," Jordan wrote. "I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats' tactics."

House Republicans are scheduled to hold leadership elections on November 10, one week after the midterm elections, and candidates must declare by Friday, Axios reported.

Johnson previously said he intended to remain GOP leader

Johnson told CBS News in October that he intended to remain in his leadership role even if Republicans lost their House majority in November.

"In the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government," Johnson told CBS News.

However, in an earlier interview with Fox News, Johnson suggested that he could return to his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.

"If heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don't know what my next chapter of life is. I'm just open to it," he told Fox News. "If God moves on our hearts and says we should go back to my hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business, I'll do that with equal fervor."

Johnson first elected in 2023

Johnson was first elected speaker of the House of Representatives in October 2023, following the removal of Kevin McCarthy, who became the first House speaker in US history to be removed from the position.

Johnson was reelected speaker in January 2025, securing 218 votes, the minimum required to win the position in that vote.