FILE - Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel appears before the House Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein File)
- Jordan, who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret ballot election of Republicans who will serve in the next Congress. The vote was 106-73.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won the race Tuesday to serve as House Republican leader as the GOP prepares for its new role in the minority.
Jordan, who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret ballot election of Republicans who will serve in the next Congress. The vote was 106-73.
Jordan, 62, is a co-founder of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and served as its first chairman. His candidacy appealed to those looking for new leadership in the wake of last week’s election debacle and to those who like his hard-hitting political style. Jordan warned of the coming Democratic efforts on oversight, with numerous investigations of the Trump administration expected.
President Donald Trump hasn’t publicly weighed in on the race.
Scalise and Jordan are a familiar match-up
Both men have been here before. Scalise edged Jordan in head-to-head voting to become the Republican speaker nominee three years ago, but he ended up withdrawing from the race when he could not secure the near unanimity it required from Republicans to win a majority vote on the House floor.
At the time, some of the more conservative members declined to back Scalise following Trump’s endorsement of Jordan. Trump was not president at the time, but his voice still carried the most weight for many.
Jordan then became the nominee, but others within the conference were adamant they would not reward the hardball tactics used to topple McCarthy and then Scalise, so he fell short in multiple rounds of votes. Eventually, Republicans turned to a new face who was not part of their internal skirmish — Johnson.
In a letter to colleagues, Scalise emphasized that he was ready to lead on Day One of the next Congress. He cited his work in helping deliver legislative wins, such as Trump’s big tax and spending cut bill.
He also emphasized his fundraising prowess, noting he raised $67.9 million for this year’s midterms, with about a third of that going directly to individual House campaigns and the National Republican Congressional Committee. He said his grassroots fundraising operation is the most prolific among House Republicans.
“In competitive districts, every dollar counts and those resources are critical to winning back the majority,” Scalise said.
Jordan warned of the coming Democratic efforts on oversight, with numerous investigations of the Trump administration expected.
“I am battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats’ playbook,” Jordan said.
Republicans are weighing their choice
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland said he would be supporting Jordan.
“I think you need to change the team and I think you need an excellent communicator, and he fits both those bills,” Harris said.
Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania said he believes Scalise is better suited for the job.
“I like people who do legislation and appropriations. I think that’s important,” Kelly said. “I know other people have maybe had more time on Fox, but I like guys that work more on facts.”
Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas called it a “really, really close race.”
“There’s a school of thought a lot of members have that a new broom sweeps clean after going through what we just went through last Tuesday,” Womack said. “There’s also a school of thought of people that believe Mr. Scalise, who has led us back before, can do it again.”
Johnson said he was close to both men and would not try to dictate the outcome.
“I want the body, I want the members to make those decisions themselves,” Johnson said. “I’m not weighing in here on the leadership elections.”
Other positions are also up for grabs
In addition to the race for minority leader, Reps. Tom Emmer of Minnesota and August Pfluger of Texas are vying to serve as Republican whip, the No. 2 position in the leadership hierarchy. Three candidates are seeking to serve as conference chair: Reps. Lisa McClain of Michigan, Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida.
The Republicans who will serve in the next Congress will hear from the candidates in the morning, followed in the afternoon by voting through secret ballot.
Democrats will hold their leadership elections next week.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to become the next House speaker, the first African-American to hold the job, and Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts is expected to become the next majority leader. She would be the first woman to hold that position.
Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
