House Speaker Mike Johnson will not run to lead House Republicans in the minority, ending his time at the top of the party after Democrats won control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Johnson told his staff on Wednesday morning that he would not seek the minority leader post in the next Congress, people familiar with the decision said.
The Louisiana Republican has been speaker since October 2023, when he won the gavel after weeks of turmoil that followed the removal of Kevin McCarthy.
His decision opens the way for a contest over who will lead House Republicans when the new Congress begins in January.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is running for the job, Fox News said. Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana is also seen as a possible contender.
Jordan ran for speaker in 2023 but failed to win enough votes on the House floor before the party turned to Johnson.
Johnson had insisted in the final days of the campaign that polls showing a Democratic wave were wrong.
No date has been announced for the House Republican leadership election.