House Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to remain the Republican leader in the House even if the party loses its majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
Johnson addressed the question directly in comments to CBS News, pushing back on speculation that he might exit politics if the GOP falls short in November.
“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 told CBS News.
The remarks came as a clarification of a comment Johnson made to Fox News the prior week, in which he suggested he could return to his hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business if Republicans lost the House.
Johnson called the interest in that remark “hilarious,” saying the comment was “tongue in cheek” and not a serious declaration of political retirement.
“What I was trying to say to them is that throughout my whole life, my number one objective is to be of my highest and best use to God and to my country,” Johnson said.
“And I was trying to make the point that if God has a different design, then we’ll follow that. But what I believe is, I’m going to be the speaker of the House for at least two more years,” he added.
Johnson has projected confidence that Republicans will not only hold their narrow majority but potentially expand it, though traditional midterm dynamics tend to favor the party out of power.
Headwinds for the GOP include the unpopular war in Iran, high gas and diesel prices, and a range of controversial Trump administration policies that have complicated the party’s electoral outlook.
The speaker has been aggressively campaigning ahead of Election Day, with plans to visit 40 districts across 22 states before polls close.
Johnson pointed to the millions of dollars he has raised for Republican candidates this cycle, his extensive travel schedule, and his work managing a sometimes volatile House majority as evidence of his continued value to the conference.
“My intention is to stay and serve, and that’s what I’ve been doing, as best I can,” he said.
