House Republicans elect pro-Trump hardliner Jim Jordan as next leader in shakeup; Thune re-elected Senate GOP leader

In a shakeup after a drubbing in the midterm elections, Republicans have elected Jim Jordan, a hardline conservative who is pro-Trump, to lead the GOP as House minority leader next year, replacing outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson. The vote was held behind closed doors and by secret ballot.

Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, had pitched himself as the best-equipped to take on an insurgent Democratic Party, which will target President Donald Trump. The Ohio lawmaker, also a high-octane former wrestling coach, was seen as better equipped than his challenger, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Jordan’s election shows that Republicans have opted for a more hardline leader as they seek relevance in the next two years.

Jordan is a hardline conservative and close ally of President Trump. His ascension marks a significant shakeup for House Republicans, who are looking to rebuild after losing more than 40 House seats.

Jordan won the Tuesday vote convincingly with 106 to 73, said sources familiar with the tally.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping down from leadership and has been noncommittal in recent days about his long-term future in Congress.

Jordan and Scalise both ran for House Speaker in 2023, leading to weeks of turbulence in the House as both failed to unite various factions.

‘Battle-tested, know Democrats’ playbook,’ says fervent Trump supporter

Jordan is a fervent supporter of President Trump and had pitched to colleagues that his past role chairing the Oversight Committee would allow him to combat the spate of investigations newly empowered Democrats are poised to launch into Trump’s administration, family and business ventures.

“I am battle-tested on the oversight front, and I know the Democrats’ playbook,” he wrote to his colleagues.

“For too long, we have operated without a clear plan to survive the hour or the day in front of us. That will not cut it against an emboldened and energetic Democratic majority,” Jordan said in his candidacy letter.

Jordan, who has spent two decades in Congress, was once considered a conservative bomb-thrower who often clashed with the GOP leadership team but has become a team player as he led House committees in recent years.

Elections for the other House Republican leadership positions are ongoing.

In Senate, John Thune re-elected unchallenged

Senate Republicans elected John Thune as leader by acclamation, his spokesperson said, meaning there were no challengers or dissenters.

Senate Republicans also reelected Sen. John Barrasso as whip, Sen. Tom Cotton as conference chair and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito as policy chair.

Republicans helding their Senate leadership elections also on Tuesday, behind closed doors and by secret ballot. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota remained the lone contender for minority leader’s post as nobody announced plans to oppose him, but a small group of Senate Republicans sought to delay the vote, saying the party needs more time to process the election results.

“A week ago, we had the worst election result in decades. We need a discussion about what went wrong, how we fix it, what we stand for, and how our agenda must focus on the concerns of the American people,” Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., said in a statement.

“As I’ve shared with Leader Thune, I don’t believe we should move to leadership elections until we have digested and debated the lessons of the midterms and how to move forward,” he said. “We need leadership in place fast, but Tuesday is too soon.”

Five other Senate Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, sent a letter to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas asking for “a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead” before the elections are held Tuesday morning.

As in the House, senators’ votes are cast by secret ballot, and candidates require a simple majority of the conference to win.

Jeffries and Schumer favourites to lead Dems

After last week’s historic win, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both New York Democrats, are favourites to be the next House speaker and Senate majority leader.

No one has emerged to challenge either for the top jobs, though Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., opened the door Monday to potentially running for majority leader amid a push from the grassroots to find an alternative to Schumer.

Senate Democrats will elect their leadership team in a private meeting in early December, while House Democrats will pick their team next week.