House Speaker Mike Johnson steps down to avoid demotion to Minority Leader
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson confirms US Capitol trans bathroom ban on Trans Day Of Remembrance (Getty Images)
House Speaker Mike Johnson is said to have told staff he will not run to remain the top House Republican in the next Congress, triggering a leadership contest led by Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
Johnson made the decision on a Wednesday morning call, according to sources familiar with the matter. Democrats are projected to take control of the House in January, which would have left Johnson in line to serve as minority leader if he stayed on.
Liz Elkind, covering the House of Representatives for Fox News digital, confirmed the news via X.
Scalise and Jordan moved quickly, each circulating letters to colleagues saying they want to lead House Republicans as the party tries to regroup after a bruising election night.
Scalise wrote: “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,” adding: “To succeed, we will need to be effective in both the oversight and legislative fights ahead.”
Jordan opened his pitch: “This is a staggering day for our Conference,” before arguing he was “battle-tested on the oversight front” and telling colleagues: “I know the Democrats’ playbook.”
When will House Republicans vote on a new leader?
House Republicans are expected to hold internal leadership elections on Tuesday, 10 November, according to a GOP aide familiar with the planning.
Johnson had previously suggested he might not stay in leadership if Republicans lost the House. In an 8 October Fox News interview, he said: “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 added: “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.”
Calls for a wider shake-up inside the House GOP
The leadership fight is already fuelling demands for a broader reset. One senior GOP lawmaker said: “We need a complete reset of all leadership,” while Florida congressman Greg Steube wrote on X: “You have been embarrassingly weak and more afraid of governing conservatively than of disappointing the voters who put us in office,” urging leaders to “step aside”.
Johnson first became speaker in October 2023 after Kevin McCarthy’s ouster and a chaotic Republican deadlock. The internal pressure on his leadership continued into 2024, when Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to oust Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over trans-related provisions in a government funding package.
