Speaker Mike Johnson Will Not Stay On as Top House Republican After the Midterm Losses
Republicans hold leadership elections Nov. 10. Hakeem Jeffries is in line to become the first Black speaker with a comfortable majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson does not plan to remain Republican leader in the new Congress after his party lost control of the House on Tuesday, NPR reported, citing a source familiar with his plans who was not authorized to discuss them publicly.
The Louisiana Republican served two terms as speaker after his predecessor, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, was ousted in 2023. His decision opens the top Republican post in the minority. House Republicans are scheduled to hold leadership elections Nov. 10, according to NPR.
Johnson's explanation
"From the first day of this election, we knew that to keep the House and sustain our majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history," Johnson said, according to NPR. "It's only happened twice in 90 years that a sitting president has picked up or held seats for his party in that first two-year cycle."
NPR reported the Democratic wave exceeded many expectations in Washington, flipping seats in traditionally Republican states the president had won.
A different majority
Johnson worked closely with the Trump administration and governed with so narrow a majority that a single Republican defection could sink party priorities. The presumptive next speaker, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, will have more room. While a handful of members elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America want to push the party left, NPR reported, Jeffries' margin means he is likely to pass priorities even with defections. He would be the first Black lawmaker elected speaker.
Additional reporting
Mike Johnson will step aside as top House Republican After Tuesday's bruising defeat for Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson will not stay on as minority leader come January. Mike Johnson will step aside as top House Republican next Congress House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with reporters alongside President Trump on Nov. 1, 2026, at Dubuque Regional Airport in Dubuque, Iowa.
Midterms coverage: Live results | Takeaways | Stories around the countryStay connected: NPR Politics Podcast | NPR Politics newsletter | NPR app After a bruising defeat for Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson does not plan to stay on as Republican leader in the new Congress, according to a source familiar with his plans who was not authorized to discuss them publicly.
The Louisiana Republican served two terms as speaker, elected after his predecessor, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, was ousted in 2023. Johnson's decision will open a role for the top House leadership position in the minority. Republicans are scheduled to hold their leadership elections on Nov. 10.
Historically, the president's party loses seats in midterm elections. The blue wave soared past the expectations of many in Washington, flipping seats in traditionally red states that the president has won previously. Johnson worked closely with the Trump administration throughout his tenure as speaker, and endured the balancing act of trying to keep his conference united with the narrowest of majorities. His razor thin majority meant even one Republican defection meant GOP priorities were at risk.
That dynamic will not be replicated for the presumptive next House Speaker, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. While there are a handful of lawmakers elected with support of the Democratic Socialists of America, eager to push the party further to the left, the comfortable margin for Jeffries means he will likely be able to achieve his priorities, even with defections.
His speakership would be history making — he would be the first Black lawmaker elected to the position. NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews. Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.
What is still unknown
Johnson had not made a public announcement as of NPR's report, and no candidates for Republican leader had been confirmed. The final size of the Democratic majority depends on races still being counted.
The developments described above are drawn from contemporaneous reporting by NPR. As of Thursday morning, republicans hold leadership elections Nov. 10. Hakeem Jeffries is in line to become the first Black speaker with a comfortable majority. Boston Uncut will update this account if primary agencies release additional records, schedules or statements that change the public facts. Readers seeking the underlying documents should consult the linked sources, which carry the full quotations and agency attributions used here. Where allegations appear, they are labeled as allegations; where vote totals or rankings are cited, they reflect the figures published by the named outlet or agency at the time of reporting.
Coverage of "Speaker Mike Johnson Will Not Stay On as Top House Republican After the Midterm Losses" sits alongside related Massachusetts and national developments this week. The factual spine of this story remains the linked reporting; any interpretation beyond those facts is limited to describing what the record does and does not yet show. Unanswered questions noted above are not speculation — they are gaps in the public record as of the most recent updates reviewed for this article on 2026-11-05.
