Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise Vie for House GOP Leadership
House Republicans will elect a new minority leader on November 10 after Speaker Mike Johnson announced he will step down following midterm election losses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that he will step down from Republican Party leadership following the GOP's loss of the House majority in the Tuesday midterm elections. While Johnson will retain his seat as a rank-and-file member, he declined to seek the position of House minority leader for the upcoming Congress.
This vacancy has triggered a leadership contest between House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. Scalise is positioning himself as a seasoned leader capable of unifying the party and using procedural tools to disrupt the Democratic agenda. Jordan is presenting himself as a battle-tested alternative to the leadership that presided over the electoral defeat, advocating for an offensive strategy to restore the Republican majority.
Other leadership battles are emerging within the GOP, including a challenge by Republican Study Chair August Pfluger against Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and a bid by Representative Rudy Yakym for National Republican Congressional Committee chair. President Donald Trump stated he will not intervene in the selection process. House Republicans are scheduled to elect their new leadership team via secret ballot on November 10, with a candidate declaration deadline this Friday.
Meanwhile, Democrats are preparing to nominate House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House. The official election for the speaker is scheduled for January 3, 2027. Incoming House Oversight Committee chair Robert Garcia has already warned the Biden administration to prepare for new investigations.
