- Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has been widely seen as a leading contender for the job — and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has not requested a waiver to remain chairman of the Judiciary, fueling speculation that he is preparing to run for the leadership post.
- Many Republicans privately fear losing and expect Johnson to step aside if the majority deviates.
- But his abrupt and unexpected new thoughts about his own future call that assumption into question.
Driving the news: “In the unlikely event that we lose the majority, I would expect my colleagues to ask me to continue to lead this conference, even though we have divided the government,” Johnson told CBS News.
- But some members don’t believe it: “Why would you want to be minority leader after speaking up?” a House Republican told us, adding that he would support new leadership.
Scalise is a leader who doesn’t take the bait: “There’s no race that any of us need to talk about until after the election,” he told Axios in an in-flight interview while campaigning in the West.
- Scalise acknowledged Johnson’s comments: “I think at the beginning he said he wasn’t going to play in what-ifs, and you know, and he could have gone that route for a minute. We’re focused on holding the House, and that’s where my energy is.”
Between the lines: A bad enough defeat could prompt calls for an entirely new leadership team, three House Republicans told us.
- But Johnson has his defenders: “Johnson has done everything humanly possible to keep us in the majority,” one House Republican told Axios.
Zoom: Some GOP sources believe a three-way contest could split support between Johnson and Scalise, which could potentially benefit Jordan.
- Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) intends to stay in his current role and has no plans to move up the leadership ladder, he told Axios last month.
- Retaining Emmer means three candidates would be competing for one position, minority leader, with no clear alternative for the two losers beyond challenging Emmer.
- Becoming party leader requires only a majority vote by secret ballot, rather than a public vote in the House.
The bottom line: These maneuvers frustrate some Republicans who say they should focus solely on winning in November.
- “How sad that we have members running for MINORITY leadership positions,” one House Republican told us in a text.
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