By Salma El-Sakka
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he will not seek the minority leader position after his party's projected loss of the House majority in the 2026 midterm elections, according to multiple reports.
The decision effectively cedes the top Republican post in the chamber to whichever GOP member can claim it, following what reports describe as a disastrous midterm performance.
The announcement followed a Fox News report citing two sources familiar with the matter that Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, was planning a bid to oust Johnson and assume the minority leader role.
Jordan previously pursued the House Republican leadership after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in 2023 but fell short of the necessary votes.
