Rep. Jim Jordan will lead a much-diminished House GOP as minority leader next year, beating out Majority Leader Steve Scalise in his third attempt to lead Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Jordan won the secret ballot vote 106-73, according to two people present for the tally.
A co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus and prominent MAGA figure, Jordan pitched himself as best prepared to engage in political combat with the incoming Democratic House majority, noting he was “battle tested on the oversight front” in a letter to members. He currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee and previously chaired the Oversight Committee.
He assumes the top job after catastrophic losses for Republicans last week prompted Speaker Mike Johnson to stand down from leadership and sparked introspection in the GOP ranks about how to rebuild the party. Many viewed Jordan as a needed change of direction compared to Scalise, who has been in the top leadership ranks for more than a decade.
In brief remarks following his victory, he thanked his colleagues for their support and promised to "fight for American families."
"When Democrats offer more government, we'll offer more freedom, and we will bring that fight in committee, on the floor, and on the stump every single day," he said.
Asked by reporters if he viewed his role as defending President Donald Trump, Jordan said his role is to "help House Republicans get back to the majority."
Outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson also congratulated Jordan and praised him as "a known entity, a trusted voice, a trusted leader."
"He's a fighter, and I think that's the signal that is being sent here," he said. "We are ready to dig in for the fight, and I think Jim can do a great job."
Jordan, 62, ran to be minority leader in 2018 but lost to California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who went on to become speaker. After McCarthy was ousted from that job in 2023, Jordan tried and failed to replace him — losing a secret-ballot caucus vote to Scalise along the way.
A group of moderate Republicans kept Jordan from getting the speakership at the time, but many of those opponents will no longer serve in Congress.
Jordan had been laying the groundwork in the meanwhile to mount another run for leader, improving his fundraising and traveling widely to campaign with GOP colleagues. While Jordan needed a majority of the entire House to become speaker in 2023, he needed only a majority of the Republican conference to win the minority leader job.
It’s unclear what comes next for Scalise, who first entered the leadership ranks in 2014. He pitched himself as being best positioned to help Republicans win the majority in 2028 — something some Republicans are doubting is even possible after the blue wave last week.
