Jim Jordan elected House Republican leader

Jordan wins minority leader race

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio defeated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret ballot vote of one hundred six to seventy-three for House Minority Leader.

Who is Jim Jordan

Jordan is a hard-line conservative and Trump ally who has served in Congress for nearly two decades and currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

Why the race happened

Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not run for the role after Democrats won sweeping victories in the midterms and took control of both chambers of Congress.

Jordan's strategy for opposition

Jordan said Republicans must go on offense, not defense. He wrote that Republican policies prioritize making neighborhoods safer, keeping more money in Americans' pockets, and protecting American values.

“In these next two years, our job cannot be merely to spotlight how radical this new Democrat party is, offense, not defense, wins elections.”

Scalise's competing vision

Scalise, who served nearly twenty years in Congress and held top Republican positions for over a decade, warned that Democrats would pursue a radical oversight agenda targeting Trump and White House officials.

Both lost Speaker race in twenty twenty-three

Scalise and Jordan both ran for Speaker in twenty twenty-three after Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Scalise won the conference nomination but withdrew after failing to secure full House support. Jordan also failed to gain backing.

Johnson steps back from leadership

Speaker Johnson, who won reelection in Louisiana's Fourth District, informed his staff he would not seek a leadership position in the next Congress after the midterm losses.