Mike Johnson will not seek to remain House GOP leader: reports

House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly said Wednesday that he will not run for House minority leader, setting up a battle for the GOP leadership after a rout on Tuesday sent the party to minority status.

Johnson confirmed his plans in a staff call, according to Punchbowl News. He has made no public announcement about his future plans for Congress, as of mid-morning.

CBS also reports Johnson, of Louisiana, announced his plan on the call, based on sources who were on the call. 

Johnson became speaker of the House after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy and a series of failed attempts to unite the party. He inherited a narrow and fractious Republican majority, but managed to send several key bills to the Senate, though that chamber was less productive.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is expected to announce his bid for minority leader. The Ohio Republican is most well-known for his work on the Judiciary Committee and his oversight efforts.

But whoever succeeds Johnson will face an uphill battle to reclaim the majority, as Democrats are set to carve out a substantial majority in the lower chamber when the final results are tallied.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.