Johnson Exits GOP Leadership Race; Scalise Announces Bid for Minority Leader
The simultaneous departure of the sitting Speaker and the entry of two potential successors signals a contested transition for House Republicans as they prepare to operate in the minority for the...
House Speaker Mike Johnson told staffers on November 4, 2026, that he will not seek the position of House minority leader in the incoming Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter as reported by CBS News. His decision follows Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections that cost the party its House majority.
Hours after Johnson's announcement, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) confirmed he will formally announce a bid for the minority leader post on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with his plans cited by Axios. Scalise currently serves as Majority Leader, a position he will vacate when Democrats assume control of the chamber in January.
Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is also being discussed as a potential candidate for minority leader, according to Axios, though Jordan has not publicly confirmed a campaign for the post as of the publication of this article.
The Republican losses that triggered this leadership transition were previously reported by this publication. As covered in Democrats Win Both Chambers of Congress in 2026 Midterm Elections, Democrats flipped enough seats to claim House control, with Hakeem Jeffries projected to become Speaker.
Johnson was elected Speaker in October 2023 following the removal of Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) via a motion to vacate. His tenure covered the 118th and 119th Congresses. Under House Republican Conference rules, the caucus elects its leadership at the start of each new Congress. The incoming minority leader will be chosen by House Republicans in a closed-door conference vote before the new Congress is seated in January 2027.
Scalise previously ran for Speaker in October 2023 following McCarthy's removal, winning a preliminary conference vote before withdrawing from consideration citing an inability to consolidate the votes necessary for the floor majority required under Article I of the Constitution. He subsequently supported Johnson's successful bid.
The financial markets responded to the broader midterm outcome on November 4. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 1,200 points and other major indexes also gained as investors assessed the results, according to CBS News. Market analysts attributed the movement to investor expectations surrounding the new congressional configuration, though the specific policy drivers cited by individual investors were not detailed in that report.
The minority leader position carries no statutory authority but governs floor strategy, committee assignments in the minority, and serves as the public face of the opposition party in the House. The last time Republicans were in the House minority, Kevin McCarthy held the minority leader role from 2019 through January 2023.
It is not yet known whether additional Republicans will enter the minority leader race before the conference vote. The date of the House Republican Conference organizational meeting, at which the vote will take place, had not been publicly announced as of publication. The official notice of that meeting, when issued, will be recorded in the Congressional Record and made available through the House Republican Conference.
What remains unknown at this stage is the precise vote count available to Scalise or any other candidate, which individual members have committed to supporting either contender, and whether Jordan will formally enter the race. Statements from member offices and any whip counts circulated within the conference would be the documents that would answer those questions.