House Republicans Elect Jim Jordan as Minority Leader, Defeating Steve Scalise

House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their next leader on Tuesday, choosing the House Judiciary Committee chairman over Majority Leader Steve Scalise in a closed-door secret-ballot vote.

Jordan will lead Republicans as they move into the minority in the next Congress. The leadership contest followed the party's losses in last week's midterm elections and Speaker Mike Johnson's decision not to seek another leadership position.

Both Jordan and Scalise made their case to fellow Republicans at a candidate forum before the vote. The voting group included current House Republicans and Republican members-elect projected to win their races.

Jordan, a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, now faces the task of bringing the conference together and preparing its efforts to regain the House majority in 2028.