Jim Jordan Is the New House Republican Leader, Beating Steve Scalise 106 to 73
House Republicans chose Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader for the minority on Tuesday, 106 votes to 73 for Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Tom Emmer held the whip's job against Texas Rep. August Pfluger, 103 to 76.
WASHINGTON — House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader on Tuesday, choosing the Judiciary Committee chairman over Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana by 106 votes to 73 in the closed-door conference ballot for minority leader in the 120th Congress. The result — 59.22 percent for Jordan against 40.78 percent for Scalise, with 179 votes cast and 90 needed for a majority — was reported by Fox News and recorded in the conference election results read in full this run.
Jordan, who has chaired the Judiciary Committee since 2023 and represents Ohio's 4th District, succeeds the leadership line held by Scalise, the incumbent floor leader, after Speaker Mike Johnson ruled himself out of a run for minority leader. As minority leader, Jordan will also be the conference's nominee for Speaker when the new Congress convenes — the formal consolation post for the party that lost the House in the Nov. 3 midterms, and the job from which Republicans will run their opposition to the incoming Democratic majority.
The rest of the House Republican team settled the same day. Minority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota held his job, defeating Rep. August Pfluger of Texas — the Republican Study Committee chairman, whose 11th District runs through West Texas — by 103 votes to 76, with one vote for another candidate. Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan was re-elected with 93 votes against Erin Houchin's 57 and Greg Steube's 27, and Rep. Brian Jack of Georgia won the National Republican Congressional Committee chairmanship, 125 to 53 over Rudy Yakym of Indiana. Vice Chair Blake Moore of Utah was re-elected without opposition on the results page.
One result is still not in this file: the Senate Republican leadership vote. This station's morning preview (SQ-20261110-023) reported John Thune facing no challenger for minority leader while a group of senators pressed to delay the elections — and no Senate result appears in the source read in full this run, so this desk does not assert one. The Senate result files tonight when it is verified.
