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By Janet Hook. Wall Street Journal–

WASHINGTON—Since House Speaker John Boehner announced his plan to retire at the end of October, he has seemed relieved to be exiting the unruly chamber he’s struggled to run for the last five years. But his path to a life of golf and leisure for now is blocked.

With the selection of his successor postponed and his party thrown into disarray by the last-minute withdrawal of his heir apparent, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Mr. Boehner said Thursday he would stay until his replacement is selected. That may not happen soon.

The Tuesday Group, a faction of centrist Republicans, is lobbying for Mr. Boehner to stay on indefinitely as speaker. Many Republicans wanted Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan to run for the job, but he adamantly refused.

Some conservative members said they don’t want Mr. Boehner to stay for long. But no other consensus candidate emerged immediately as an alternative to Mr. McCarthy, who dropped out of the race in the face of opposition from the same vocal minority that made life difficult for Mr. Boehner.

That leaves Mr. Boehner unexpectedly back at the helm as Congress faces a barrage of legislative battles and deadlines. Most pressing: The need to raise the federal debt limit before early November and to come to a governmentwide budget agreement by mid-December. Those are tough negotiations even for the strongest and most experienced leaders.

Some Republicans see a possible silver lining in the leadership turmoil: It could make it more likely that Mr. Boehner could wrap up deals with the White House to pass the debt limit increase, set spending caps and tie up other loose legislative ends.

“This gives Boehner more time to clear out the barn,” said former GOP Rep. Tom Davis.

William Hoagland, a budget expert and former Senate Republican adviser, said that Mr. Boehner would be better equipped to reach a debt limit deal than a novice more beholden to the party’s confrontational conservatives.

“It’s more likely that there would actually be a clean debt limit and, in some strange way, that particular threat that was looming out there could be taken off the table,’’ said Mr. Hoagland.

Mr. Boehner didn’t announce a new date for his successors’ election. In a statement, the Ohio Republican said: “I’m confident we will elect a new speaker in the coming weeks. Our conference will work together to ensure we have the strongest team possible as we continue to focus on the American people’s priorities.”

President Barack Obama has an interest in advancing budget negotiations and avoiding fiscal brinkmanship. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday that it is too early to determine how the shake-up in the House will affect those negotiations.

“The days ahead will tell us a little bit more about what the fallout is,” Mr. Earnest said. “What we’re hopeful of is…that the next leader of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives will be someone who acknowledges that the country will be very well served not by them sacrificing their conservative principles, but by being willing to work with members of the other party to advance the interests of the country.”

For all the stark differences between Mr. Boehner and Mr. Obama, the White House has viewed him as someone who has acknowledged the need to compromise in a divided government.

“That certainly speaks well of Mr. Boehner,” Mr. Earnest said, “but, you know, Republicans will have to decide who can take the reins over there.”

Mr. Boehner’s promise to stay in office until his replacement is selected was a caveat he seemingly never thought would be triggered. A Boehner friend who saw him after his retirement announcement said he “looked five years younger.”

The night before Mr. McCarthy dropped his bid to be speaker, Mr. Boehner attended a Wednesday fundraiser and told associates there that he had realized in the middle of the night that he was stuck with the job until his successor was chosen.

“The speaker’s nightmare has come to pass,” said Mr. Hoagland, who was at the fundraiser. “He could remain speaker until the end of the year.”

—Carol E. Lee contributed to this article.

Write to Janet Hook at janet.hook@wsj.com