As they seek to chart a course back to electoral power, House Republicans today elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to be their leader in the next Congress, while Senate Republicans chose to have Sen. John Thune of South Dakota continue to lead them in the minority.
Jordan, who currently chairs the Judiciary Committee, defeated current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret ballot. The vote reportedly was 106 to 73.
The result was a sign that many House Republicans are prepared to move away from some of outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership team that steered the party before its staggering losses in last week’s elections — but not from the combativeness that has been a hallmark of recent GOP and MAGA politics.
The 62-year-old Jordan is known as a confrontational firebrand and a fierce defender of President Trump.
“Over the next two years, House Republicans will fight for American families,” Jordan told reporters after being elected. “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.”
A former wrestler and co-founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006. He had come up short in two prior bids to lead House Republicans. This time, he pitched himself in a letter to colleagues last week as “battle-tested on the oversight front” and promised to fight aggressively to win back voters and fend off Democratic investigations.
“In these next two years, our job cannot be merely to spotlight how radical this new Democrat party is—offense, not defense, wins elections,” Jordan wrote. “Republican policies prioritize making Americans’ neighborhoods safer, keeping more money in their pockets, and protecting enduring American values and freedoms. To restore our majority, we must restore voters’ faith in our ability to deliver on these principles.”
Outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans under Jordan will be prepared to push back against the new Democratic majority. “He’s a fighter, and I think that’s the signal that is being sent here,” Johnson told reporters. “We are ready to dig in for the fight, and I think Jim can do a great job.”
Thune faces questions, but no challenger: The 65-year-old Thune was not challenged for the Senate GOP leadership post, though some conservatives pushed unsuccessfully to delay Tuesday’s vote and argued that the GOP’s historic election losses, including at least seven flipped Senate seats, called for further reflection on the party’s next steps.
Thune said in a statement that Republicans “remain united in our commitment to advancing conservative priorities, working with President Trump and our colleagues in the House, and holding the line against Democrats’ efforts to enact their far-left, liberal agenda.”
Schumer confident despite defections: On the Democratic side, with leadership elections set for next week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to be chosen to continue as Democratic leader in the next Congress, with broad — albeit not universal — support from his caucus.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is also expected to continue leading Senate Democrats next year, though he faces continued calls for him to step aside in favor of a new generation.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, 67, told reporters Monday evening that he “hasn’t shut the door” on a potential challenge to the 75-year-old Schumer. On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced that he won’t back Schumer’s bid to stay on as Democratic leader. “In my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re-elected as the Democratic leader,” Sanders told reporters.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan also called for change and insisted that Democratic leaders demonstrate a plan for their first 100 days. “I think whoever wants to run this caucus should come forward with a plan on how they’re going to govern differently, what they’re going to do in the first 100 days to put money in people’s pockets and in particular how they’re going to communicate differently.”
Slotkin said she is not actively seeking the leader’s job but, like Sanders, is seeking change.
Brian Bryant, president of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, sent Schumer a letter on Monday thanking him for his years of leadership and support for organized labor — and calling for “fresh ideas, new energy and a new generation of leadership” in the Democratic Party. “With the utmost respect and appreciation for your service, we respectfully urge you not to seek another term as Senate Democratic Leader,” the letter said.
Schumer told reporters he remains confident that he will be elected majority leader.