Jim Jordan Wins House Republican Leadership Vote 106-73
The Ohio congressman defeated Steve Scalise in a secret ballot to lead the party as it moves into the minority.
By Aiko Brooks ·
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won the race to lead House Republicans on Tuesday. He defeated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana by a vote of 106 to 73. The vote was held among Republicans who will serve in the next Congress. Jordan will now guide the party as it takes its new role in the minority. Democrats are already preparing a series of investigations into the White House.
Jordan is 62 years old. He chairs the House Judiciary Committee. He co-founded the House Freedom Caucus and served as its first leader. His supporters saw him as a fresh option after last week’s midterm election results. They also liked his aggressive style on the legislative floor. Rep. Brian Mast of Florida nominated Jordan for the job. Mast said Jordan’s fighting spirit showed where the conference is headed.
Scalise and Jordan have served together in Congress for two decades. They both ran to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker in 2023. Neither candidate gathered enough support, and Mike Johnson won that race instead. Johnson is stepping down from leadership in the new Congress. Scalise, 61, has held top GOP roles since 2014. He served as party whip and majority leader. In 2017, he was shot during a charity baseball practice. In 2023, he beat multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Scalise told colleagues that overcoming adversity is nothing new to him. He also pointed to his fundraising record, noting he raised $67.9 million for the midterms.
Jordan focused on his experience battling Democrats in committee. He led the House oversight panel before joining the Judiciary Committee six years ago. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said Democrats would use targeted investigations as their main goal. She said Jordan understands the concept of weaponization. Scalise’s backers preferred his track record in passing bills. He actually won a similar secret ballot against Jordan three years ago. That race was for the speaker position, which went to someone else.
The new Republican conference is smaller than the last one. Many moderates and swing-district lawmakers lost their seats or retired. Mast said the group is now much more conservative than before. Democrats argued that choosing Jordan shows the party ignored the voters who rejected Republicans. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said the party should have picked a moderate. Rep. Ted Lieu of California called Jordan the more extreme choice. He said he hopes Jordan will work with Democrats.
Other leadership roles were filled during the vote. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota was elected as the Republican whip. He beat Rep. August Pfluger of Texas. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan was reelected as conference chair. Democrats will vote on their own leaders next week. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to become the next House speaker. He would be the first African American to hold the job. Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts is expected to become the next majority leader. She would be the first woman to hold that position.
