After House Republicans took an absolute shellacking in Tuesday's elections, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has reportedly made a big decision about his future.
He's stepping aside from House Republican leadership, according to multiple reports circulating Wednesday morning.
Johnson reportedly told several of his staffers that he will not seek to retain his leadership role in the next Congress, a stunning development that comes just hours after Democrats wrested control of the House from the GOP.
And it's quite a reversal from what Johnson was saying just a few weeks ago.
BREAKING: House Speaker Mike Johnson won't run for minority leader, sources tell Fox News' @liz_elkind https://t.co/YsNhUWYJM0
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 4, 2026
In an October 12 interview with CBS News, Johnson insisted that he intended to remain as leader of the House Republicans even if Democrats managed to flip the chamber.
"My intention is to stay and serve," Johnson said at the time, adding that he expected his fellow Republicans to ask him to continue leading the conference.
It's possible that the scale of the GOP's casualties on Tuesday changed the calculus.
There are already two names being bandied about as Johnson's replacement: Reps. Jim Jordan (OH-04), current House Judiciary Committee chairman, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01).
🚨SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON just told staff on a private call that he won’t run for minority leader or any leadership role, per sources Jim Jordan is planning to announce his bid later this morning All eyes on SCALISE. More to come soon! w/ @Reporter_Mia https://t.co/QHKBAazoQx
— Meredith Lee Hill (@meredithllee) November 4, 2026
Republicans are scheduled to choose their new leadership on November 10, with November 6 being the deadline for candidates to declare.
Attention now shifts to the Senate and Majority Leader John Thune.