Ohio congressman Jim Jordan has been elected to lead Republicans in the US House of Representatives during the next Congress, as the party prepares to move into the minority in January.
Jordan defeated Louisiana representative Steve Scalise by 106 votes to 73 in a closed-door secret ballot on Tuesday, 10 November, according to the Associated Press.
Reuters separately reported that House Republicans chose Jordan to lead the incoming minority during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
Leadership changes after midterm defeat
Jordan, 62, chairs the House Judiciary Committee and is a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. He will take over the party’s House leadership when the new Congress begins in January 2027.
The contest followed major Republican losses in the 3 November midterm elections, which put Democrats in position to control both chambers of Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson did not stand in the Republican leadership race.
Jordan’s victory places one of Trump’s most prominent congressional allies at the head of a smaller Republican conference. He is expected to lead the party’s response to the Democratic legislative programme and to investigations promised by incoming Democratic committee leaders.
Senate Republicans retain Thune
Republicans in the Senate also retained John Thune as their leader. Democrats will hold their House leadership elections separately.
The featured image shows the chamber of the United States House of Representatives during a session. It is a BaretaNews archive/file photograph and does not depict Tuesday’s Republican leadership ballot.
