Johnson out as House Republican leader after GOP rout

House Speaker Mike Johnson privately told staff he is not planning on running for leadership roles after the midterms. House Speaker Mike Johnson privately told staff he is not planning on running for minority leader or any other leadership role in the next Congress, according to people familiar with the comments. His decision will kick off a scramble among House Republican leadership contenders in the aftermath of their sweeping losses Tuesday night. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and current Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are launching leadership bids today. Both Jordan and Scalise previously came up short in speakership bids in the chaotic aftermath of Kevin McCarthy’s ouster. Johnson eventually emerged as an unlikely consensus pick among House Republicans then. Johnson had previously suggested he might step back from leadership or even leave Congress as House Republicans’ midterm chances dimmed. Democrats are not expecting major shakeups among their ranks. Some progressives have threatened to vote against Hakeem Jeffries for speaker, though it’s unlikely to derail his ascension.