Conservatives may want him gone, but John Boehner said Monday he plans to run again for speaker of the House next year.
The Ohio Republican told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday that not only does he plan to run again to lead the House, but he predicts he will be victorious.
That’s assuming Republicans hold on to their majority in the House.
“I think I’m in better shape with my own caucus than I have ever been in the last three years,” Boehner told the paper.
Last year, a small group of conservative lawmakers attempted to oust Boehner, but ultimately failed to keep him out of speaker’s chair.
This year, a number of tea party-affiliated organizations have called for Republicans to replace Boehner with someone else. Adam Brandon, an official at FreedomWorks, recently sent an email to supporters with the subject line, “Fire John Boehner.”
“Republicans control the House of Representatives,” Brandon wrote. “But who do we have in leadership? Who do we fight the Progressives with? A Republican who always surrenders: John Boehner.”
That sentiment was on display last week at the Tea Party Patriots five year anniversary celebration when the crowd applauded the notion of retiring Boehner.
There has been speculation that Boehner might actually retire. It was recently reported that Boehner purchased a condo in Marco Island, Fla., a prime spot for retirees.
But Boehner’s office explained that’s simply an area where he has vacationed for years.
“This area of Florida has been the Boehners’ family vacation spot for many years, and rather than continue to put money into vacation rentals year after year, they decided to buy a condo,” Michael Steel, Boehner’s spokesman, told Breitbart News. “Their home is in West Chester, Ohio, and will continue to be.”