Speaker Mike Johnson is facing growing dissent from Republican women in the House who say they have been marginalized and have publicly broken with his leadership on multiple issues. The tensions have surfaced through discharge petitions, floor fights and public criticism from GOP women who argue their priorities and advancement have been sidelined.
This week Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) filed a discharge petition to force a House vote on banning congressional stock trading, saying she was angry leadership wasn’t moving faster even as she added she still “likes Mike.” Johnson has favored working through regular order and noted the issue already had an initial hearing. House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) both signed Luna’s petition and publicly criticized Johnson over language in the national defense bill before the two patched things over — a notable move because Stefanik is a senior GOP leader.
Several Republican women told reporters they feel passed over for assignments and leadership roles. Critics point out that, after Johnson’s appointments, only one Republican woman — Rep. Virginia Foxx — chairs a House committee, and there are no elected Republican women serving as committee chairs. Some lawmakers and aides privately blame Johnson for the limited advancement of women in the conference.
High-profile conservatives have raised similar concerns. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has announced plans to resign, told media she believes Republican women have been marginalized. Greene and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), another vocal critic, plan to meet to discuss their frustrations.
Recent episodes have illustrated the rifts. Mace, Greene and others helped push a discharge petition to release the Jeffrey Epstein files after Johnson and the White House urged caution; the petition passed and the files were released after President Trump endorsed the move. Another clash centered on a resolution to censure Rep. Cory Mills amid misconduct allegations. Mace forced a vote and when GOP leaders moved to table the resolution, eight Republicans opposed the motion — six of them women, including Mace, Lauren Boebert, Greene, Luna, Kat Cammack and Harriet Hageman. Mace has said she received no substantive response from Johnson about her concerns; Johnson has defended allowing the Ethics Committee process to proceed and called Mills a faithful colleague.
The strain comes as several prominent Republican women plan to leave the House or run for other offices, raising concern the party’s already small female contingent could shrink further after the 2026 midterms. Greene is resigning; Stefanik and Mace are running for governor; Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) is running for the Senate. The number of Republican women in the House fell from a 2023 peak of 36 to 33 today (including two nonvoting members), compared with 96 Democratic women. Experts warn that losing even a few GOP women is consequential because Republicans start from a smaller bench; Kelly Dittmar of the Eagleton Institute said rebuilding or exceeding past records will require strong recruitment and a favorable cycle.
Johnson’s allies reject the claim he has not supported women. A spokesperson said the speaker “strongly supports the women in his conference,” has elevated women to leadership roles, worked on recruitment, and provided fundraising support through the Speaker’s Joint Fundraising Committee. Johnson also placed three Republican women on the Intelligence Committee and kept Stefanik in a leadership post after her nomination for U.N. ambassador was withdrawn.
Outside groups are trying to bolster Republican women candidates. Maggie’s List has endorsed several 2026 GOP women and backed Stefanik’s gubernatorial bid; Winning for Women has been scouting potential candidates in many states. Still, critics say party infrastructure for recruiting and sustaining female representation has been uneven. The NRCC has run recruitment programs in the past, but those efforts have struggled to endure.
Former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, representing Maggie’s List, said she expects the number of GOP women in Congress to remain steady but acknowledged the party must do more to support women candidates and that Republican groups often resist identity-focused recruitment strategies.
The dispute over Johnson’s leadership and the treatment of Republican women reflects broader conference battles over strategy, personnel and priorities. Johnson says he is not worried about his standing, but some Republican women warn that growing frustration and possible high-profile departures could weaken the GOP’s female bench unless recruitment and elevation of women become sustained priorities.