• Analysis
Mike Johnson will not pursue House minority leader role, reports say
House speaker Mike Johnson says he is not planning to pursue the role of House minority leader once Republicans lose their majority, according to multiple reports, leaving the mike johnson house minority leader question to other contenders.
Johnson steps aside
House speaker Mike Johnson is not planning to pursue the role of House minority leader once his party loses its majority in the chamber, he has said, according to multiple reports. The move effectively yields the position of highest-ranking Republican in the House to whichever member can claim it, after the party's midterm defeat.
Jordan eyes a challenge
Fox News, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported that Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House judiciary committee, was planning an effort to oust Johnson and take the minority leader position. Jordan previously made a bid for the House Republicans' top job in 2023, after Kevin McCarthy lost the speaker role, but failed to win enough votes.
Scalise in the running
Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the Republicans' majority leader, was named by multiple outlets - including Punchbowl News and Fox News - as a candidate for the minority leader job. Scalise also vied for the House speaker position after McCarthy vacated it in 2023.
With Johnson out of the race, the minority leader post is open to whichever Republican can claim it following the midterm defeat.
