Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has been elected to lead House Republicans in the minority after Democrats delivered a decisive defeat in last week’s midterm elections.
His victory sparked an internal party battle as Jordan challenged the establishment favorite, current Majority Leader Steve Scalise, for the top leadership post.
Scalise is closely aligned with outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson, who chose not to seek another leadership position. But following the Republican losses, many lawmakers called for a change at the top.
Jordan prevailed with 106 votes, defeating Scalise by more than 33 votes in the secret-ballot election.
The congressman, who led the Republican counteroffensive during Democrats’ first two impeachment efforts against Donald Trump, is expected to vigorously defend the president and his family against a new wave of investigations.
With Democrats back in power, Trump will spend the final two years of his second term confronting corruption investigations and legislative gridlock, while potentially facing a third impeachment crisis. It is not the way he had hoped to conclude his time in office.
Jordan promised a ‘fight’ during the closed-door meeting. Even some of Scalise’s allies privately acknowledged that the message appeared to be winning over members after the party’s midterm defeat.
The Ohio firebrand has pursued a leadership role for years. He challenged former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2018 but lost after multiple rounds of voting. Jordan also ran for speaker in 2023, ultimately losing to Mike Johnson.
Jordan’s allies said he had secured 100 votes, putting him above the threshold needed to win
The contest also attracted attention because neither President Donald Trump nor outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson publicly endorsed a candidate
Representative Scott Fitzgerald publicly backed Jordan on Tuesday, saying, ‘I’m pulling for Jim Jordan, that’s no secret. I’ve been working with the chairman to garner the votes and help him fine tune his message to the members’
The contest became a test of whether Republicans wanted a fresh approach after their electoral defeat or believed Scalise’s years of leadership experience offered the strongest chance of winning back the majority in 2028.
Before the vote, Scalise said he was ‘feeling really good’ about his prospects.
‘We’ve got a lot of work to do after today, but this is a start of our move to get the country back on track and to get the majority back,’ Scalise said.
Jordan, however, appeared to be gaining support during the closed-door candidate forum, according to Punchbowl News.
He won the backing of several prominent Republicans as the contest progressed.
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Representative Mike Rulli publicly endorsed Jordan. During the private meeting, Rulli reportedly stood and demanded to know what House Republican leaders planned to accomplish with the remainder of their time in the majority.
Rulli said voters in his district wanted Republicans to take more action than they had seen so far, prompting approving remarks and cheers from other lawmakers.
Representative Scott Fitzgerald also announced his support on Tuesday, saying, ‘You’re not going to find a better fighter and better communicator.’
Representative Andy Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, backed Jordan as well, arguing that the party needed to ‘change the team.’
Scalise, meanwhile, was supported by Republicans who viewed his experience at the top of the party as the safer option.
Representative Rick Allen said he would support the Louisiana Republican, declaring, ‘He should get the Medal of Honor. I mean, he has laid it all out there.’
Representatives Mike Kelly, Nathaniel Moran and Mario Diaz-Balart also endorsed Scalise.
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Diaz-Balart argued that Scalise was best positioned to rebuild the party by refocusing its agenda on the economy and national security.
The leadership race also drew attention because neither President Donald Trump nor outgoing Speaker Johnson publicly endorsed a candidate.
Trump said last week that he intended to remain out of the contest.
Johnson likewise declined to state a preference, saying Republican lawmakers should make the decision themselves.
‘I want the body, I want the members to make those decisions themselves,’ he said. ‘I’m not weighing in here on the leadership elections.’
The vote had initially been scheduled for Tuesday morning, but a series of committee hearings pushed the leadership decision into the afternoon.
The newly elected leader will immediately confront a series of challenges, including how to respond to the Democratic Party’s plans to investigate the Trump administration when Congress reconvenes in January.