Jordan bids to lead House GOP
Speaker Mike Johnson steps back as Democrats take control, opening the path for a new Republican minority leader.
By Layla Richardson ·
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana will step away from Republican leadership when Democrats assume control of Congress next year.
Johnson decided not to seek the position of minority leader, a source confirmed to HuffPost on Wednesday. This decision clears the path for a new figurehead for the party on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio announced his candidacy for the leadership role in a letter to colleagues on Wednesday. He pledged an aggressive strategy for the upcoming two-year cycle.
"In these next two years, our job cannot be merely to spotlight how radical this new Democrat party is, offense, not defense, wins elections," Jordan wrote.
Jordan argued that Republican policies focus on neighborhood safety, retaining household income, and protecting American values. He stated that the party must restore voter confidence in its ability to deliver on these principles to regain a majority.
Johnson's withdrawal follows the Republican defeat in the midterm elections held on Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, Democrats had secured at least 228 seats. They remained on track to win additional seats, with 68 races still undecided.
In remarks on Tuesday evening, Johnson attributed the losses to political history. He noted that a sitting president has gained or held seats in the first two-year cycle only twice in 90 years.
"We knew that to keep the House and sustain a majority, we would have to defy more than a century of midterm history," Johnson said after winning reelection.
Voters appeared to punish House Republicans for their alignment with President Donald Trump. The president's unpopularity and failure to reduce consumer prices seemed to drive the outcome.
Parties typically select their leaders during internal elections when a new Congress convenes each January. The full House then votes to elect the speaker.
Rep. Greg Steube of Florida sent an open letter to GOP leaders on Wednesday. The letter suggested Johnson would have faced internal opposition had he remained in the speaker's chair.
"You have been embarrassingly weak and more afraid of governing conservatively than of disappointing the voters who put us in office," Steube wrote on social media. He urged leaders to step aside to allow new leadership to take a conservative direction.
