US House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that he will not continue leading Republicans in the new Congress, a day after Democrats secured a majority in the midterm elections.
According to four sources who were present during a conference call with his staff, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, announced his decision during a phone conversation on Wednesday morning, NBC reports, as cited by Express.
His announcement comes after significant Republican losses in House of Representatives races in Tuesday’s elections.
Johnson has served two terms as Speaker of the House. He was elected to the position in 2023 after Republicans voted to remove his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California.
Johnson’s departure will leave the position of Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives vacant. Republicans are expected to hold an internal election on November 10 to select their candidate for the post.
Meanwhile, Johnson’s future political plans remain unclear.
