Jim Jordan Elected House Minority Leader After Republican Midterm Defeat
House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as minority leader on Nov. 10, 2026, defeating Rep. Steve Scalise 106-73 in a secret ballot. The vote followed sweeping Democratic midterm victories that flipped the House and Senate, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson to step down from Republican leadership. Jordan, Judiciary Committee chairman and a close Trump ally, now leads a diminished conference facing a Democratic majority and expected investigations of the Trump administration.
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Republican Jim Jordan Elected House Minority Leader After Midterm Loss
Following the Republican Party's midterm election defeat, House Republicans elected Jim Jordan as their minority leader, according to reports by Fox News and the Washington Post, with Representative Anna Paulina Luna confirming the vote on X. Jordan, who has chaired the Judiciary Committee and represented an Ohio district since 2007, defeated current Republican whip Steve Scalise. The New York Times described Jordan as a combative figure with close ties to President Donald Trump. Current House Speaker Mike Johnson did not run again for the leadership post. Jordan previously sought the speakership in 2023 but lost after three failed ballots, with Johnson ultimately prevailing after weeks of chaos. The leadership change follows calls within the party for new direction after the midterm losses. In the new Congress, Republicans will face a comfortable Democratic majority, though the exact balance remains unclear due to ongoing vote counts.
Read sourceHouse Republicans Elect Jim Jordan as Minority Leader After Midterm Losses
House Republicans elected Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio as their new minority leader on Tuesday, defeating Representative Steve Scalise 106-73 in a secret ballot vote. The election follows sweeping Democratic victories in the midterms that flipped both the House and Senate, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson to step down from Republican leadership. Jordan, who has represented Ohio's 4th district since 2007, has faced scrutiny over his alleged role in covering up sexual abuse by an Ohio State University team doctor and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. He refused to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack and later referred former special counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. As Judiciary Committee chairman, Jordan acted as Trump's personal attorney; he now leads a diminished party facing Democratic investigations.
Read sourceHouse Republicans to elect new leader after midterm defeat
One week after losing the House majority in the midterm elections, House Republicans will meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to choose a minority leader for the next Congress via secret ballot. The race to succeed Mike Johnson, who is stepping down as the chamber's top Republican, pits current Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana against Ohio's Jim Jordan, a House Freedom Caucus co-founder. Scalise, 61, a close Trump ally in GOP leadership for over a decade, is seen as more moderate and has pitched a "conservative and consensus-driven" approach focused on winning back the majority. Jordan, 62, a veteran of the Oversight and Judiciary committees, advocates an aggressive "offense, not defense" posture and says he is "battle-tested on the oversight front" ahead of expected Democratic investigations of the Trump administration. The contest is a rematch of the 2023 leadership fight that ultimately produced Johnson. Former Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry says the outcome will shape a larger conversation about the party's direction; strategists note Trump, who has so far stayed out of the race, could wield major influence over a conference largely elected in his image.
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Mike Johnson Steps Down From Republican Leadership After Midterm Loss
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday morning during an all-staff call that he will not run for House minority leader in the new Congress, following Tuesday's Democratic landslide takeover of the House of Representatives. It remains unclear whether Johnson has endorsed a successor. Representative Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has announced his candidacy for House minority leader, pitching that new blood is needed and emphasizing his investigations expertise, according to Punchbowl News. Representative Steve Scalise, the current number two Republican in the House, also announced he is running for caucus leader, with a source telling The Washington Sun that his top goal is to lead the conference back into the majority. The article characterizes Johnson's tenure as marked by unwillingness to stand up to President Donald Trump and support for Trump's agenda, which it says doomed Republicans on Tuesday.
Mike Johnson Steps Down From Republican Leadership After Democratic Midterm Landslide
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday on an all-staff call that he will not run for House minority leader in the new Congress, following Tuesday's Democratic landslide takeover of the House of Representatives. It remains unclear whether Johnson has endorsed a successor. Representative Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has already announced his candidacy for minority leader, pitching that new blood is needed and emphasizing his investigations expertise, according to Punchbowl News. Current number two House Republican Steve Scalise is also expected to announce a run, an unnamed source told The Washington Sun, with a statement saying his top goal would be leading the conference back into the majority and describing him as a proven, unifying leader. The article also notes Republicans are openly blaming President Trump for the midterm losses, with some calling it a 'bloodbath,' and covers data center ballot initiatives and reproductive rights measures. This is a developing story.
Mike Johnson Steps Down From Republican Leadership After Democratic Midterm Landslide
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday morning during an all-staff call that he will not run for House minority leader in the new Congress, following Tuesday's historic Democratic landslide takeover of the House of Representatives. It remains unclear whether Johnson has endorsed a successor. Representative Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has announced his candidacy for House minority leader, arguing that new blood is needed and emphasizing his investigations expertise, according to Punchbowl News. Representative Steve Scalise, the current number two House Republican, also announced he is running for caucus leader, with a source telling The Washington Sun that his top goal is to lead the conference back into the majority. The article characterizes Johnson's tenure as marked by unwillingness to stand up to President Donald Trump and support for Trump's agenda, which it says doomed Republicans on Tuesday.
Speaker Mike Johnson to step down as GOP leader after midterm losses
One day after Democrats won the House majority in the 2026 midterms, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told staff he will not remain Republican leader in the new Congress, leaving the minority leader post open. Republicans plan an internal election Nov. 10. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a close Johnson ally, announced his bid, citing results 'far worse than any of us expected.' Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is also running, arguing he is 'battle-tested on the oversight front' and ready to counter Democrats' investigations of President Trump. In a surprise, Rep. August Pfluger said he would challenge Whip Tom Emmer for the No. 2 spot. Some Republicans, including Rep. Greg Steube, demanded a 'complete reset' of leadership, saying leaders alienated conservatives. Johnson, speaker since October 2023 after Kevin McCarthy's ouster, won re-election to his seat and is expected to stay in the House, though it is unclear whether he will serve his full term.
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