Speaker Mike Johnson won’t seek another term as House GOP leader after midterm losses

Updated on: November 4, 2026 / 1:32 PM EST / CBS News

Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson told staffers that he will not run for minority leader in the new Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter, stepping aside after the GOP's extensive losses in the midterm elections.

Johnson made the announcement on a call Wednesday morning, the source said. CBS News projected that Democrats will take control of the House in January with a wide majority.

In a letters Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan told colleagues that they want the job.

"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," Scalise wrote in a five-page letter. "To succeed, we will need to be effective in both the oversight and legislative fights ahead, but we will also need to lay out a clear and optimistic vision for America."

Scalise argued that "tested leadership is needed now more than ever" to counter Democrats' agenda and the onslaught of investigations.

"This is a staggering day for our Conference," Jordan wrote in his two-page letter, which was…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/