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Election 2026 live results: Speaker Johnson not running for House minority leader
Confirmed
In Short: House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that he will not seek the position of House minority leader in the next Congress, following a wave of Democratic victories in the midterm elections.
Johnson, who only joined Congress in 2017, had previously won unanimous backing from his colleagues after a period of chaos that left the House leaderless.
Johnson told staff Wednesday morning that he would not run for minority leader, setting up a leadership battle for the Republican Party.
Johnson's decision comes as Democrats are set to carve out a substantial majority in the lower chamber when final results are tallied.
Johnson had previously announced he was sending members home early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections.
Johnson told reporters, 'It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make the case to the American people.'
Despite the setback, Johnson maintained a positive outlook, telling the Washington Examiner, 'We will continue pressing forward with our agenda of common sense and our vision to make America great again. And come 2028, we will take back the House, and we will finish this job.'
What this adds
Mike Johnson's decision not to run for minority leader sets up an internal Republican battle for the position.
Johnson's tenure as Speaker was marked by a period of chaos and a lack of leadership in the House.
The projected Democratic majority in the House represents a significant shift in power following the midterm elections.
Background
James Michael Johnson is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he is in his fifth House term, having represented Louisiana's 4th congressional district since 2017.
What's confirmed
- Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced he is sending members home from Washington early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, a move that will stave off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- “It is a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled of course. But we probably won’t do that today, we will do it when we come back,” Johnson said.
What's still developing
- Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., does not plan to lead House Republicans in the next Congress after his razor-thin majority dissolved under a tidal wave of Democrat victories.
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- Johnson said, “We’re in the middle of international conflicts right now, and we should not be playing games with national security,” according to ABC7 New York.
- James Austin Johnson crashed the latest cold open of Saturday Night Live to make one big prediction about the midterm elections this Tuesday: a blue wave is coming.
- “I want to be of my highest and best use to God in my country, and I feel like at this stage of life, I’m doing what I’m called to do, and so I intend to lead as Speaker,” Johnson told Costa.
- The comment generated immediate speculation and chatter about his political intentions, which Johnson brushed off during the CBS sit-down.
- Bennett Haeberle, Juliette Johnson, Tyler Moss Get fact-based, unbiased political coverage from the NewsNation team ahead of the 2026 elections.
- Investigators determined that the 13 officers on duty were insufficient for what they described as a controversial speaker event requiring heightened security measures.
- Thomas Massie, Republican representative from Kentucky's 4th congressional district, on Tuesday, in a significant step against a fellow Republican, introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor against Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Mike Johnson has sent House members for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections.