Mike Johnson to step down as House Republican leader

US House Speaker Mike Johnson will step down as Republican leader after Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

Asked whether reports that Johnson would step aside were correct, the spokesman replied: "Accurate." Johnson told staff of his decision on Wednesday morning, a day after the Republican defeat.

Johnson's decision means he will not seek the minority leadership. It does not mean he is immediately resigning as speaker or leaving Congress, and he won reelection to his Louisiana seat.

The move clears the way for a Republican leadership contest that could include House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan.

Johnson, 54, had led the House since October 2023, when he became a compromise candidate after weeks of Republican infighting following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy.