Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made a surprising prediction about his own future that has sent House Republicans scrambling, according to a new report.
Johnson told CBS News he expects to remain at the helm of the House GOP if Republicans lose their majority in November, upending months of quiet maneuvering over who would lead the party next, Axios reported Wednesday.
"In the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government," Johnson said.
The remark caught many Republicans off guard. Plenty of members privately fear they will lose the House and had assumed Johnson would bow out rather than follow former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who stayed on as Democratic leader after her party lost its majority.
Not everyone is on board. "Why would you want to be minority leader after speaker?" one House Republican told Axios, adding they would back a new leadership team.
Johnson's stance sets up a potential three-way race, Axios noted. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has widely been seen as a frontrunner to lead the conference, while Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) passed on seeking a waiver to keep his Judiciary Committee gavel, a move that has fueled chatter he plans to run, per Axios.
Scalise brushed off the question while campaigning in the West, telling Axios that "there are no races that any of us need to be talking about until after the election's over."
He also nodded to the speaker's comments. "I think early on he said he wasn't going to play in hypotheticals, and you know, and he might have gone down that path for a minute," Scalise said.
Some GOP sources told the outlet that a three-way fight could split support between Johnson and Scalise, opening a lane for Jordan. Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) has said he plans to stay put, leaving the two losing candidates without an obvious consolation prize. The leader is chosen by secret ballot and needs only a simple majority, Axios noted.
Johnson still has allies. "Johnson has done everything humanly possible to keep us in the majority," one House Republican said.
Others are fed up with the jockeying altogether. "How sad we have members bidding for MINORITY leadership positions," one House Republican texted Axios.