Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio has been elected to lead House Republicans as minority leader in the 120th Congress, placing a longtime ally of President Donald Trump at the center of the party’s effort to regain control of the chamber. Jordan defeated current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana by a vote of 106 to 73 in a closed-door Republican leadership election on November 10. The decision follows the party’s losses in the November 3 midterm elections, which are set to place Republicans in the House minority when the new Congress convenes in January 2027. Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, campaigned on his experience confronting the Biden and Trump administrations’ political opponents and preparing for congressional oversight battles. He argued that Republicans need a coordinated strategy and must do more than simply criticize the incoming Democratic majority. His election marks a significant leadership change as the GOP begins preparing for two years outside control of the House.

Jordan will succeed the current Republican leadership structure after Speaker Mike Johnson announced that he would not seek to lead the party in the next Congress following the midterm losses. Johnson is expected to remain speaker through the end of the 119th Congress in early January, when Democrats are scheduled to assume control of the House. Jordan’s immediate challenge will be keeping the Republican conference unified while responding to Democratic investigations, advancing the party’s legislative priorities and developing a strategy for the 2028 elections. His victory also sets up a new leadership dynamic alongside Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who won election to remain Republican whip, the conference’s second-ranking position. The leadership transition comes as Republicans assess the reasons behind their electoral setbacks and debate how to rebuild support among voters. Jordan has made clear that his goal is to organize an assertive opposition and lead the party’s campaign to win back the House majority.