Speaker Mike Johnson Hints at Next Career Move if Democrats Win Midterms

House Speaker Mike Johnson joked that he could return to Louisiana and pursue an entirely different career if Republicans lose control of the House in the midterm elections.

Johnson is crisscrossing the country to help the GOP protect its narrow House majority, as Democrats work to regain control of both chambers of Congress.

In an interview with Fox News, Johnson said he had raised a record $156 million for Republican candidates and remained confident that the party could hold on to power. He argued that a defeat would come only “because the people were misled.”

Still, Johnson acknowledged that he could be looking for a new occupation if he is no longer serving as Speaker in 2027.

“Heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don’t know what my next chapter of life is,” he said.

“If God moves on our hearts and says we should, you know, go back to my hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business, I’ll do that with equal fervor. I mean, I just want to be of my highest and best use to God and to my country.”

Lance Trover, a spokesperson for Johnson, later clarified on social media that the Speaker had been joking.

“All the DC speculation about the Speaker because he dared to speculate about his potential future in the lawn care business is hilarious,” Trover wrote.

“Not that I believe he’d be bad at it, but allowing it to overshadow the massive fundraising numbers announced this morning or the insane travel schedule he’s doing to keep the majority seems to be nothing short of trying to drive a contrived narrative.”

Johnson also said that, whatever happens on November 3, he had fulfilled his responsibilities and should not be held responsible if Republicans lose.

“I don’t know how it could be. I mean, I’m traveling non-stop.”

Donald Trump has been charging through a series of red states for campaign rallies, most recently appearing in Nebraska and Texas, as the balance of power in Congress remains uncertain.

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During the first two years of President Donald Trump’s second administration, Republicans have maintained a trifecta in Washington, controlling the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The party now faces a difficult fight to preserve that sweeping control, with the midterm elections less than a month away.

Across the 2026 midterm cycle, polls have consistently indicated that voters favor Democratic candidates in the November elections, with that advantage widening in recent months.

Trump has himself questioned the GOP’s prospects, raising concerns about whether conservative voters will turn out this fall—particularly because his name is not on the ballot.

Some GOP candidates, like Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds and Iowa Senate candidate Ashley Hinson have moved to distance themselves from the president. 

‘If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote, and that’s the one thing I can’t tell,’ Trump said recently while also urging GOP voters to act like he himself is on the ballot. 

Despite this, Republicans are trouncing Democrats in fundraising, both nationally and in key battleground races. 

It’s an indication that control of Congress will be decided not by Washington insiders, but by the voters who turn out in battleground districts nationwide. 

Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, and Democrats need to pick up at least four of them to control the upper chamber in the next Congress. 

Democrats are strongly favored to take over the House of Representatives, where the GOP has just a five-seat majority.