Mike Johnson will not seek House minority leader role after GOP midterm defeat
The Republican speaker of the House will step aside as his party's top House leader when it loses its majority in January.
Key facts
Story- Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek the House minority leader role once Republicans lose their majority.
- The decision follows Republicans' heavy defeat in the 2026 US midterm elections.
- Johnson has led the House since October 2023, after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy.
Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, will not seek to lead his party in the chamber after it loses its majority.
The decision comes after Republicans suffered a heavy defeat in the 2026 US midterm elections. Johnson will step aside as the party's leader in the House when the new Congress convenes in January.
Johnson, 54, has led the House since October 2023. He became a compromise candidate after weeks of infighting among Republicans, which followed the removal of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's exit means the party will choose a new leader for the minority in the next Congress.
It is not yet known who will replace him, or when the party will hold a vote to pick a successor. It is also not known whether Johnson will remain a member of the House after his leadership role ends.
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