John Leganski, a former top aide to ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has warned that Democratic leaders in Congress will soon face tactics and pressures from their left wing similar to those used by far-right Republicans to bring down McCarthy and challenge his successor, Mike Johnson.
Leganski's Prediction for Democrats
In an interview, Leganski said, "If Democrats take the House, you see these socialist candidates rising. I saw a candidate in Colorado say, 'I'm not voting for anyone for leadership that took corporate Pac money.' I guarantee you, [minority leader] Hakeem Jeffries' office is reading that comment and sweating, because that's what we were doing in the lead up to the [2022 midterm] election as well. It's just a tight margin, and every vote counts."
Leganski pointed to Colorado candidate Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist who beat 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette in a primary on June 25, 2024. Kiros's campaign was fueled by opposition to Israel and support for universal healthcare, echoing the sweep of progressive wins in New York the week before. Leganski suggested that candidates like Kiros might not vote for Jeffries as speaker if Democrats win the House majority in November.
Parallels to Republican Infighting
Leganski, who served as the youngest floor director in House history, wrote about his experiences in the book Glory, Grief, and the Gavel. He observed, "My timeline is that Democrats are about 10 years behind Republicans in this evolution" of extremes gaining significant power. He cited the 2018 primary upset of Democratic caucus chair Joe Crowley by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a harbinger of the current progressive wave.
Polling indicates Democratic voters increasingly favor new-generation candidates over establishment figures, partly due to a desire for affordability agendas championed by democratic socialists. Leganski commented, "I think Congress is turning into a pseudo-parliamentary system," with parties fracturing into factions. He described the 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy's speakership as "us trying to cobble together a governing majority, like you see in parliaments around the world."
McCarthy's Fall and Johnson's Rise
McCarthy's successor, Mike Johnson, operates under slightly more favorable conditions, as it now takes nine Republicans to introduce a motion to vacate the speakership, not one. However, Johnson must manage the unpredictability of Donald Trump and keep the right wing under control. Leganski spoke the morning after Johnson failed to do so, when Freedom Caucus members defeated a rules vote, prompting an early adjournment.
Leganski's book identifies former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz as the primary villain, calling him a "cancer" who organized both the agonizing speaker election and McCarthy's ouster. Leganski detailed Gaetz's machinations for committee roles, allegedly to create "a taxpayer-subsidized legal defense fund" against an ethics investigation. The investigation ultimately found Gaetz paid for sex with women, including a minor, and used illicit drugs. Leganski compared Gaetz to Syndrome, the supervillain from The Incredibles.
Johnson's Quiet Ambition
Leganski painted Johnson as quietly ambitious, writing, "He was someone that got a vote in the internal conference balloting. He was someone that we learned had been approached by members of the Freedom caucus to consider running should Kevin not get there, or just should run regardless." Leganski added, "My line was, he was standing where he thought the bouquet might land. He didn't orchestrate our ouster, he didn't precipitate it or cheer for it, but he wasn't at the bar and the bouquet just fell into his drink."
Johnson, who succeeded after other GOP leaders like Scalise, Jordan, Emmer, and McHenry failed to gain enough support, is as right-wing as the Freedom Caucus but more polished. Leganski noted that writing the book was therapeutic and that McCarthy approved the manuscript. He praised Johnson, saying, "He has done a great job in the role, honestly. I empathize greatly."
The Nature of the Beast
Leganski concluded, "The central facet of the House that is inescapable, and I think will be inescapable for the time to come, for Republican or Democratic speakers, is the tight margins. So I watch what happened this week and I say, 'I get it.' I know a lot of people on Johnson's team ... I just tell them, 'Hang in there, keep grinding, keep chipping away.' This is the nature of the beast. It's not just limited to Kevin. I don't think it'll be limited just to Mike."
