House Republicans have elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their minority leader for the 120th Congress, choosing a strident defender of President Donald Trump to lead the conference after Democrats won sweeping majorities in last week's midterm elections.
Jordan won the closed-door vote 106-73, sources told MS NOW on condition of anonymity. He will succeed Mike Johnson as the House's top Republican; Johnson announced the day after the election that he would not run for minority leader. Tom Emmer was elected minority whip; Rep. Lisa McClain was reelected conference chair.
He was first elected to Congress in 2007. Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who backed Jordan, blamed Scalise for not fighting hard enough to advance rightwing priorities, saying: “If you have a play and you get destroyed, you don't put the same people back in charge that were part of running that failed play.”
The conservative House Freedom Caucus was founded in 2015. He has used his position as chairman of the House Oversight Committee to investigate what he argues is the weaponisation of government against Trump, looking into former Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who both unsuccessfully prosecuted the president.
In a reported letter to fellow Republicans before the vote, Jordan described himself as a "battle-tested" leader. "I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats' tactics," he wrote. "We need a Leadership team that is active and engaged, forward-thinking and straight-shooting."
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, called Jordan “the original congressional brawler” on X, adding the party needs him to “lead us back to the majority.” Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris said in a statement that Jordan is “a fierce fighter, uniter, principled conservative, and relentless advocate for the American people” and “exactly the right man for the job to fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats.”
Democrats criticised the selection. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., noted that Jordan's election came days after Trump named Stephen Miller as chief of staff. “Republicans learned absolutely nothing from what happened a week ago, and are responding by elevating their most extreme voices to positions of power,” he said.
Jordan will be responsible for shaping the party's strategy against Democratic investigations into Trump's second term and Democrats' ambitious legislative agenda, regardless of whether it has the president's support. Before the vote, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy advised the future leader in a podcast: “You can't just play it day by day. You've got to have a strategy, because it'll knock the Democrats off base.” He added: “You better have an acknowledgement of what transpired in this last election. Because you got to tell the American people I heard you and it's going to take time to earn your trust again.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Jordan's election signals House Republicans intend to take a combative posture in the minority, prioritising opposition to Democratic investigations and legislation over compromise.
- His close alliance with Trump means the party's strategy in the House is likely to closely track the president's political needs, especially as the 2028 presidential race approaches.
- The choice of a Freedom Caucus founder over a more establishment figure like Scalise suggests the party's right wing has consolidated influence after the midterm defeat.
Background
House Republicans suffered heavy losses in the 7 November midterm elections, with Democrats flipping at least 40 seats nationwide to gain large majorities in both chambers. Speaker Mike Johnson announced he would not remain in leadership. The party elected Jim Jordan, a 19-year House veteran and cofounder of the rightwing House Freedom Caucus, in a closed-door secret ballot on 10 November, defeating current Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Jordan previously sought to become speaker in 2023 after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, but his bid collapsed when he lacked enough support.
Key Perspectives
Jim Jordan: Argued in a letter to colleagues that he is a "battle-tested" leader who can keep the conference unified and calibrate its response to Democrats' tactics.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.): Said Scalise should not be in charge because "if you have a play and you get destroyed, you don't put the same people back in charge that were part of running that failed play."
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.): Called Jordan "exactly the right man for the job" to "fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats."
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): Accused Republicans of "elevating their most extreme voices to positions of power" and learning nothing from their electoral defeat.
What to Watch
- Whether Jordan can maintain party unity as Democrats launch investigations into the Trump administration and advance legislation potentially at odds with the president.
- How the Freedom Caucus wing's louder role in leadership affects Republican messaging heading into the 2028 presidential cycle.
- Whether Scalise's supporters remain loyal or cause internal friction after their candidate's defeat.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedHouse Republicans elected Trump ally Jim Jordan as minority leader after sweeping midterm losses.World news | The Guardian: “Republicans have elected veteran congressman Jim Jordan as their new leader in the House of Representatives, putting a strident defender of Donald Trump at the helm of their conference as they navigate the fallout from sweeping losses in last week’s midterm elections.”
- SupportedJordan won the closed-door vote 106-73, according to sources who spoke to MS NOW anonymously.US Top News and Analysis: “Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, was elected in a 106-73 vote, sources told MS NOW on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.”
- Reports differJordan was chairman of the House Oversight Committee when he used his position to investigate the weaponisation of government against Trump.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “As the current chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Jordan has used his power to look into what he has argued is the weaponisation of government against Trump.”
- Reports differJordan was first elected to Congress in 2007.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “the Ohio lawmaker, who was first elected to the US Congress in 2007”
- SupportedJordan co-founded the House Freedom Caucus, which was founded in 2015.World news | The Guardian: “First elected in 2006, Jordan helped found the rightwing House Freedom Caucus in 2015”
- SupportedAnna Paulina Luna said of Scalise: “If you have a play and you get destroyed, you don’t put the same people back in charge that were part of running that failed play.”World news | The Guardian: ““If you have a play and you get destroyed, you don’t put the same people back in charge that were part of running that failed play,” she said.”
- SupportedIn a reported letter, Jordan wrote: “I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics” and “We need a Leadership team that is active and engaged, forward-thinking and straight-shooting.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics”, he wrote. “We need a Leadership team that is active and engaged, forward-thinking and straight-shooting”.”
- SupportedBrandon Gill called Jordan “the original congressional brawler” on X and said he could “lead us back to the majority.”US Top News and Analysis: ““He's the original congressional brawler and is exactly what our Conference needs to lead us back to the majority,” Gill wrote.”
- SupportedAndy Harris described Jordan as “a fierce fighter, uniter, principled conservative, and relentless advocate for the American people” and “exactly the right man for the job to fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “calling him “a fierce fighter, uniter, principled conservative, and relentless advocate for the American people”. “Jim is exactly the right man for the job to fight back against the radical, crazy agenda of Democrats”, Harris said in a statement.”
- SupportedJordan led investigations into Jack Smith and Fani Willis, who both unsuccessfully prosecuted Trump.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “He has led the panel’s investigations into former US Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis, who both have unsuccessfully prosecuted the president.”
- SupportedDon Beyer said Republicans learned nothing from the previous week and were elevating their most extreme voices; he noted the election came days after Trump named Stephen Miller as chief of staff.World news | The Guardian: “with Virginia congressman Don Beyer noting that Jordan’s election came days after Trump had named immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as his chief of staff. “Republicans learned absolutely nothing from what happened a week ago, and are responding by elevating their most extreme voices to positions of power,” he said.”
- SupportedBefore the vote, Kevin McCarthy advised the future leader on a podcast: “You can’t just play it day by day. You’ve got to have a strategy, because it’ll knock the Democrats off base”; he added that the leader should acknowledge the election result and tell voters it would take time to earn their trust again.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““You can’t just play it day by day”, he told his former aides on Glory, Grief and the Gavel. “You’ve got to have a strategy, because it’ll knock the Democrats off base”. McCarthy added: “You better have an acknowledgement of what transpired in this last election. Because you got to tell the American people I heard you and it’s going to take time to earn your trust again.””