Johnson did not say whether he will stay in Congress. Two people familiar with the decision said he will keep his seat as a rank-and-file member. He was just reelected in his Shreveport-area district and is expected to serve when the new Congress convenes in January. His tenure as Speaker began in 2023, after Kevin McCarthy was ousted. He led the House GOP through one of the slimmest majorities in modern times and was known for his close relationship with Trump, and he has often been described as an "accidental speaker."

Counts of the Democratic gains differ, with at least 21 to 25 Republican-held seats flipping. Races were still uncalled as of Wednesday, and projections show Democrats also winning the Senate. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to succeed Johnson as Speaker. Democrats are preparing to nominate him, and the Speaker election is scheduled for January 3, 2027. Republican Reps. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin and Richard Hudson of North Carolina lost their races, and the contest for Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina was too close to call Wednesday morning.

Johnson's exit comes weeks after he predicted he would stay in charge even if Republicans lost. In October he said he would expect colleagues to ask him to keep leading the conference even under divided government. On Tuesday night he told supporters in Shreveport that Republicans would not be deterred by one election result, and that "come 2028, we will take back the House and we will finish this job." He described the Democratic agenda as a "socialist Marxist platform that is a threat to people everywhere." Johnson campaigned in 36 states over the two-year cycle and helped raise more than $526 million for individual candidates and his endorsed super PAC by mid-October.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has entered the race to replace him. Jordan pointed to his record as chairman and his landslide reelection in Ohio's 4th District. He called himself "battle-tested" and said, "I know the Democrats' playbook. I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority." One account of his pitch is that leadership needs new blood and that investigations are his specialty. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also a Louisiana Republican, is reportedly seeking the post too, and attention is expected to shift to a Jordan-Scalise matchup. Sources disagree on the rest of the field. Some name House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota as a possible entrant, while others say he plans to run for minority whip instead. Rep. August Pfluger has also been mentioned as a possible contender.

The stakes go beyond the title. Whoever wins is all but guaranteed to become Trump's top defender against Democrat-led investigations and possibly against impeachment efforts. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who is set to chair the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement Tuesday night that the new majority gives Democrats subpoena power. He told Trump, his family and Republicans to "Lawyer up."

Inside the party, the criticism has already started. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida called current leadership "embarrassingly weak" and asked for a new conservative direction. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland urged Republicans to use the 20 legislative days that remain to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally and lock in conservative victories. By one account of voter sentiment, the results reflected frustration over the high cost of living and an unpopular war with Iran.

Candidates for the Republican leader post must register by noon Friday. The election is expected to take place when members-elect gather in Washington next week.