House Republicans on Tuesday picked Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to lead them in the minority next year, turning to one of their most combative conservatives after last week's midterm losses cost the party its majority.
Jordan defeated Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana 106-73 in a closed-door, secret ballot vote at the Capitol, The Hill and The Guardian reported.
Jordan chairs the House Judiciary Committee and co-founded the House Freedom Caucus, serving as its first chairman. He has spent two decades in Congress without holding an elected leadership post. Scalise has been in the top ranks of Republican leadership since 2014.
The two men have competed for the top job before. Both ran for speaker in 2023 after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, and neither could gather enough votes, opening the way for Mike Johnson. This time McCarthy, who has long feuded with Scalise, lobbied colleagues on Jordan's behalf, The Hill reported.
Johnson had said he would not run for minority leader and is leaving the leadership ranks at the end of the term. With him out of the race, frustrated members aimed much of their anger at Scalise and other sitting leaders.
Jordan pitched himself as a fresh face. In a letter to colleagues last week, he wrote that Republicans had "operated without a clear plan" and called for a more active leadership team.
The conference he inherits is shrinking fast. Democrats are on track to hold roughly 260 House seats, their largest majority in 35 years, NBC News reported. As minority leader, Jordan will be in charge of recruiting candidates to win seats back in 2028. Fox News described him as President Donald Trump's top defender in Congress for the final two years of Trump's term.
House Republicans also chose Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota as minority whip, CNN reported. The elections went ahead even though more than 30 Republican National Committee members had asked party leaders to delay them by at least a month.