Jim Jordan beats Scalise 106-73 to lead House Republicans
House Republicans picked Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader for the next Congress on Tuesday, choosing him over Majority Leader Steve Scalise 106-73 in a secret ballot, lawmakers in the room told reporters. Jordan will lead the party in the minority as Democrats take the House in January.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
House Republicans on Tuesday elected Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader for the next Congress, choosing him over Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana. The vote was 106-73 in a secret ballot behind closed doors, according to AP, NBC News (citing two Republican lawmakers in the room) and Fox News Digital. The voters were House Republicans who will serve in the next Congress, including members-elect projected to win last week's races, Fox reported. Jordan, 62, replaces Speaker Mike Johnson as the party's top House leader once Democrats take the majority in January; Johnson stays speaker until then, Scripps reported.
Why it matters
NBC projects Democrats will hold about 259 seats, their largest majority in 35 years, and they have promised investigations into the Trump administration, family and business ventures. Fox News called Jordan the president's "top defender" in Congress for that fight. Scripps reported Jordan is not expected to keep the Judiciary gavel, which passes to Democrats in the new Congress.
More context
In his words: "Over the next two years, House Republicans will fight for American families," Jordan told reporters after the vote, NBC reported. "When Democrats offer more government, we'll offer more freedom, and we will bring that fight in committee, on the floor and on the stump every single day." In his letter to colleagues he had pitched himself as "battle-tested on the oversight front."
The rest of the team: Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota beat Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger of Texas 103-76 for minority whip, the No. 2 job, Fox reported. Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan held her post against challenges from Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida, NBC reported. In the Senate, Republicans re-elected John Thune as leader by acclamation, with John Barrasso as whip and Tom Cotton as conference chair, after voting 31-15 to proceed despite calls from Sen. Ron Johnson and others to delay.
Timeline: Oct. 2023: Scalise and Jordan both run for speaker after Kevin McCarthy's ouster; neither reaches 218 votes, and Johnson wins the job. Nov. 3, 2026: Democrats win the House. Nov. 4: Johnson says he won't seek a leadership post; Scalise and Jordan announce bids. Nov. 10: Jordan wins 106-73. Jan. 3, 2027: the new House is set to elect a speaker, NBC reported.
How outlets framed it: Fox News led with Jordan as Trump's "top defender" and quoted allies saying the conference was "hungry for change." NBC described a "clean break" from Johnson's team and "a remarkable ascent" for a lawmaker once seen as a "conservative bomb-thrower." AFP called him "a hardline ally" of Trump. AP noted he co-founded the House Freedom Caucus.
What's still unknown: Who replaces Jordan as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, and how Jordan and Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' likely speaker, will handle must-pass bills. House Democrats pick their leaders next week, NBC reported.
Sources across the spectrum This story cites right-leaning and left-leaning outlets. Every source is listed below.
5 listed sources
- AP, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio elected to lead House Republicans in the minority, Nov. 10, 2026
- NBC News, House Republicans elect Rep. Jim Jordan as their next leader following election losses, Nov. 10, 2026
- Fox News, Jim Jordan becomes new House GOP leader after closed-door vote, defeating Steve Scalise, Nov. 10, 2026
- Scripps News, Jim Jordan defeats Steve Scalise to become House Republican minority leader, Nov. 10, 2026
- AFP, Trump ally elected US House Republican leader after election rout, Nov. 10, 2026
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
The vote was a closed-door secret ballot, so there is no official public tally. AP, Scripps News, NBC News (citing two Republican lawmakers in the room) and Fox News Digital (citing sources in the room) all reported the 106-73 count. The whip and conference chair results also come from people in the room as reported in Fox News and NBC.
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