Johnson, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, said in the email, “I am announcing I will continue to fight for freedom in the public realm by running for re-election. It is not a decision I have made lightly.”
Johnson’s announcement comes one day after Senate Minority Whip John Thune said he would seek reelection for his South Dakota seat. Johnson is the last incumbent Republican to announce his decision to seek reelection in this year’s midterms.
The six Senate seats most likely to flip in 2022 are currently held by three Democrats in Nevada, Georgia and Arizona, and three Republicans in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Biden narrowly won five of those states in 2020 and narrowly lost the sixth, North Carolina, but a backlash against his presidency and the history of midterms working against the incumbent has left Republicans optimistic that they will take back the Senate in 2022.
Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
