Jim Jordan elected House GOP minority leader, defeating Steve Scalise 106-73

House Republicans on Tuesday elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their next minority leader, defeating Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a closed-door, secret-ballot vote of 106-73, according to two Republican lawmakers present.

The Vote

Jordan, a founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus and House Judiciary Chairman, defeated Scalise, who has spent a decade in leadership and is a close ally of outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson. The vote signals what NBC News described as a clean break from the Johnson political apparatus following last week's historic GOP losses that handed Democrats roughly 260 seats.

Jordan pitched to colleagues that his past role chairing the Oversight Committee would allow him to combat investigations newly empowered Democrats have promised into President Donald Trump's administration, family and business ventures. "I am battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats' playbook," he wrote to his colleagues.

Background

Jordan, 62, has spent two decades in Congress. He was previously defeated by Kevin McCarthy for minority leader in 2018 by a vote of 159 to 43. After McCarthy resigned as speaker in October 2023, both Scalise and Jordan ran to succeed him but failed to secure the required 218 votes; Mike Johnson then became speaker.

Elections for other House Republican leadership positions are ongoing. Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota faces a challenge from August Pfluger of Texas, and House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan faces challenges from Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida.

Why it matters

Jordan's victory marks a shift in House Republican leadership after the party's midterm defeats, replacing the existing leadership structure with a figure who has never served in senior leadership ranks but is a well-known face of the GOP's hard-right wing.

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Sources

• politico.com: House Republicans could be about to clean their own house - POLITICO
• nbcnews.com: House Republicans elect Rep. Jim Jordan as their next leader following election losses

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.