Speaker Johnson has told staff he will not run for minority leader after GOP midterm losses
Topics: 2026 Midterm Elections
6 outlets (NBC News, Axios, The Hill, Fox News, CBS News and The Guardian US) are covering this story.
How outlets are covering this: 6 outlets ran their own headlines on this story. Words most headlines share: “leader”, “minority”, “Johnson”, “GOP”. Distinct wording: NBC News uses “Speaker” and “staff”; Axios uses “Republicans” and “reeling”; The Hill uses “Majority” and “Steve”; Fox News uses “throws” and “pieces”. (Computed from the headlines below.)
- NBC News reports: “A day after Democrats won the House majority, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told his staff in a phone call that he will not run for minority leader, according to four sources on the call. NBC News' …”
- Axios reports: “Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will announce his bid to lead House Republicans on Wednesday, a person familiar with his plans told Axios, as his party begins to regroup from stunning midterm…”
- The Hill reports: “House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will run for minority leader, setting up what will likely be a contentious contest against House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for the po…”
Read the full coverage
- NBC News: Speaker Johnson has told staff he will not run for minority leader after GOP midterm losses
- Axios: Scalise, Jordan vie to lead House Republicans reeling from midterm rebuke
- The Hill: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise will run for minority leader
- Fox News: Jim Jordan throws hat in ring for House minority leader as GOP picks up pieces after blue wave
- CBS News: Mike Johnson won't seek new term as House GOP leader after losses
- The Guardian US: Mike Johnson says he will not pursue House minority leader role – reports
Top political stories right now
Updated Nov 4, 2026, 11:32 AM ET
- Democrats win House and Senate control in sweeping victory 13 outlets
- Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House 3 outlets
- Watch: Key moments from the US midterm election results 2 outlets
- Americans’ long-simmering frustrations over the high cost of living boiled over Tuesday night to rearrange the nation’s political map: “We’re just fed up” 2 outlets
- Midterm results become a referendum on Trump's record 2 outlets
Related coverage
- Jim Jordan throws hat in ring for House minority leader as GOP picks up pieces after blue wave 1 outlet
- House Republicans torch each other over "brutal" midterms losses 1 outlet
- Speaker Mike Johnson: Republicans ‘faced some real odds’ 1 outlet
- Thune plans to run for Republican minority leader after Dem's midterm takeover 1 outlet
- Sen. Schumer calls mood on Election Day ‘nauseously optimistic’ after casting vote 1 outlet
More top stories from Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses even as network’s hosts went easy on him 4 outlets
- How Keisha Lance Bottoms found out she was elected Georgia's governor 4 outlets
- Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House 3 outlets
- From Texas to Kansas, 6 stunning midterm results that upended the political map 3 outlets
- Live updates: Democrats riding high after historic night; GOP searches for answers 3 outlets
All political stories from Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · Today’s top stories