Jim Jordan chosen as U.S. House Republican leader after midterms

Jim Jordan takes over as the new leader of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives after his party lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.

The Leadership Vote

The Ohio congressman and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee beat fellow conservative Steve Scalise by 106 votes to 73 in a secret ballot on Monday, November 10, 2026. President Donald Trump did not take sides or endorse either candidate in the contest. Mr. Jordan replaces House Speaker Mike Johnson, who decided to step down from his leadership role after the election defeat. Senate Republicans chose to keep John Thune as their leader, even though conservative members pushed for a change after the losses.

Background And Political Style

Mr. Jordan is a founding member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and has represented Ohio in Congress. He pitched himself to party members as a strong fighter who will confront Democrats during the final two years of Mr. Trump's presidency. Former speaker John Boehner once called him a legislative terrorist because of his hardline tactics. Mr. Jordan also stood out as a top defender of Mr. Trump during investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Context

Midterm elections in the United States happen halfway through a president's four-year term and often lead to the party in power losing seats in Congress. When a party loses its majority in the House and Senate, its leaders must change strategy from passing laws to opposing the agenda of the newly winning party.