Jim Jordan elected House Minority Leader after GOP midterm losses

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Hannah Parry Amanda Castro

By Hannah Parry and Amanda Castro

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House Republicans elected Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan as their next minority leader Tuesday, putting one of Congress’ most prominent conservative fighters in charge of the party after its bruising 2026 midterm losses.

Republicans responded to losing the House not by moving toward the center, but by elevating a longtime Donald Trump ally who has built his career challenging Democrats and, at times, his own party’s leadership.

Jordan will now be responsible for holding together a diminished GOP conference, countering the incoming Democratic majority and positioning Republicans to compete for control of the House again in 2028.

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U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speaks during a hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement of the House Judiciary Committee at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 1, 2026 in Washington, DC. Jordan will lead House Republicans after defeating Steve Scalise in a secret-ballot leadership vote.

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Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman and a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, defeated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret ballot, 106-73.

The contest followed heavy Republican losses in the midterm elections and amounted to a choice between an insurgent conservative with close ties to Trump and a veteran member of the existing leadership team.

The result also reversed the outcome of the two lawmakers’ 2023 leadership battle. Scalise defeated Jordan in an internal vote for the speakership after Kevin McCarthy was removed, although Scalise subsequently withdrew before a House floor vote.

Republicans then nominated Jordan, but he failed to secure enough support to become speaker after three rounds of voting.