Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was chosen to lead House Republicans beginning in January 2027, defeating Steve Scalise in an internal vote, 106 to 73. (Foto: Instagram)
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was selected Tuesday, Nov. 10, to lead the Republican minority in the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in January 2027. Jordan, an ally of President Donald Trump and a prominent figure in the party’s hard-line conservative wing, defeated current Republican majority leader Steve Scalise in an internal vote, 106 to 73.
The leadership choice follows a significant Republican defeat in the midterm elections, which cost the party control of both chambers of Congress. Jordan will be tasked with reorganizing House Republicans and leading their opposition to the Democratic Party’s agenda over the next two years.
His selection signals that Republicans opted for a more confrontational leader rather than a moderate alternative. Jordan told colleagues he was best positioned to challenge Democrats and oversee scrutiny of the Trump administration as it faces a House controlled by the opposing party. Allies also emphasized his willingness to confront political opponents and pursue investigations involving administration officials and people who have brought cases against Trump.
Jordan chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has built his political career around conservative causes and support for Trump. First elected to the House in 2007, he has become a leading Republican voice in investigations into what his party describes as the federal government’s politically motivated use of institutions against Trump. As committee chair, Jordan led efforts to investigate former special counsel Jack Smith, who brought cases against the president, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis led an investigation involving an effort to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results.
Jordan is expected to take over House Republican leadership from Mike Johnson, the current speaker, who said he would not seek the position again after Republicans lost control of the chamber. The election results were still being counted in some races: Democrats had won 254 House seats to Republicans’ 162, with 19 seats undecided. In the Senate, Democrats had secured 54 seats and Republicans 44, with two contests still pending.
Trump initially acknowledged the Democratic victory and said he would work with the opposition, while also vowing to veto proposals he disagreed with. He later questioned the election process without presenting evidence of irregularities, asking in a post whether anyone believed the election was honest and how polls could have been so wrong.
