A major Republican leadership shakeup is coming after the 2026 midterm elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek re-election as House Republican leader after Democrats take control, setting the stage for new leadership battles as Congress changes hands.
We do start with that major breaking news, an announcement
in the last hour concerning last night's midterm election results.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says he will not seek
the position of minority leader in the House.
Johnson won re-election last night but says he will step down
from his party leadership role after Democrats swept into power.
Current majority leader Steve Scalise is likely to seek the job
of minority leader when Democrats take control coming up in January.
From the House to the Senate now,
where two seats remain too close to call at this hour,
I want to start you in Alaska.
Keep in mind the time change.
Look at how close this is.
Alaska is a ranked choice state, meaning if neither candidate gets 50%,
they will start counting voters' second choices
to pick a winner there in Alaska.
Mary Peltola leading by just about half
a percentage point currently in Mississippi.
It does not get any closer than this.
We are talking less than 100 points
separating Democrat Scott Colome
from Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.
He is looking to pull over the upset over Hyde-Smith.
And again, that race as close as it gets.
While we wait for those decisions,
Democrats across the country are celebrating.
Boston 25 News anchor Ray Vieta has a look at their message.
Let them know tomorrow.
That the bad guys lost.
That was Michigan's new senator-elect, Abdul El-Sayed,
early this morning wrapping up a major win
that helped Democrats take the Senate.
We just took back Texas.
Running up the score was James Tallarico,
the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate race in nearly four decades.
Well, let me start off by congratulating James Tallarico.
That was among many Republican concessions,
including in Maine, where Senator Susan Collins will see
her 30-year Senate career come to an end.
Even in South Carolina, Republican Darlene Graham lost
to Democrat Annie Andrews, despite an intense effort
by President Trump to push her across the finish line.
Right around midnight, the president acknowledged what
was happening to even some of his handpicked.
candidates. Well, I'm a little bit surprised.
I thought they'd do better.
Control of the House will swing to Democrats,
too, putting severe limits on the president's
remaining two years. And that extends to the war in Iran.
And in a Fox News poll,
74 percent of voters said it was a crucial or major factor.
We knew we probably wouldn't get final results for days.
Some results still coming in,
including in the Alaska Senate race, where two Dan Sullivan's
were on the ballot. The margin between
the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat
Democrat Mary Peltola...
It's still too close to call.
Ray Vieta for your local station, Boston 25 News.
And breaking news.
