WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans on Tuesday elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the hard-line Judiciary Committee chairman and one of President Donald Trump's closest allies on Capitol Hill, to lead them in the next Congress, choosing him over Majority Leader Steve Scalise by a vote of 106 to 73, according to sources cited by CBS News and ABC News. The closed-door vote is the most dramatic leadership shakeup yet after last week's midterm elections, in which Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and their majorities in both chambers.

Key Takeaways

• The vote: Jim Jordan defeated Steve Scalise 106 to 73 to become House Republican leader for the 120th Congress, sources told CBS News and ABC News.
• Johnson steps aside: Speaker Mike Johnson announced last week that he would not run for minority leader.
• The rest of the team: Tom Emmer stays on as whip, Lisa McClain as conference chair, and Brian Jack will chair the party's House campaign arm.
• The Senate: Senate Republicans kept John Thune as their leader by acclamation after a "frank" discussion about their midterm losses.
• What's next: Republicans become the minority when Democrats take control of Congress in January 2027.

The choice of Jordan, a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus and a fixture on cable news, signals that House Republicans intend to meet the incoming Democratic majority with confrontation rather than conciliation.

"We Will Bring That Fight"

Jordan kept his remarks brief after the leadership elections. "Over the next two years, House Republicans will fight for American families. 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," he said, according to CBS News.

In his letter to colleagues seeking the job, Jordan pitched himself as "battle-tested" and argued that the conference had been operating without a long-term strategy. "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," he wrote, CBS reported.

Jordan has chaired the House Judiciary Committee since 2023 and previously led Republicans on the Oversight Committee. In Congress since 2007, he is a two-time NCAA champion wrestler, ABC News noted.

A Rematch From the 2023 Speaker Fight

Tuesday's contest revived an old rivalry. Jordan and Scalise both ran for speaker in 2023 after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, a fight that shut down the House for three weeks as neither man could unite the conference's factions. The stalemate ended when Mike Johnson, then a little-known Louisiana conservative with no leadership experience, won the gavel unanimously.

This time, with Johnson stepping aside, Jordan prevailed. Scalise, who has served in House GOP leadership since 2014 and as majority leader since 2023, made his case as a steady hand. "This is no doubt a challenging time for our conference, but overcoming adversity is nothing new to me," Scalise wrote to colleagues, according to CBS. Scalise was critically wounded in the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice and has since been treated for multiple myeloma, which he said is in remission.

Johnson, who has been noncommittal about his long-term future in Congress, will step down from leadership when the new Congress convenes.

The Rest of the GOP Leadership Team

Below Jordan, House Republicans largely stuck with familiar faces. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the current majority whip, was elected minority whip after beating a challenge from Texas Rep. August Pfluger, ABC reported. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan won another term as conference chair over Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida. Rep. Brian Jack of Georgia will chair the National Republican Congressional Committee, replacing Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who lost his own re-election bid.

Emmer struck a combative tone. "To our colleagues on the left, enjoy this honeymoon phase because come January 3rd, 2027, you will regret ever putting your name on a ballot," he said, according to ABC.

Thune Survives in the Senate

Across the Capitol, Senate Republicans kept John Thune of South Dakota as their leader, approving him by acclamation Tuesday afternoon after delaying the vote for what was described as a "frank" discussion about the party's losses, ABC reported. Republicans lost at least seven Senate seats in the midterms, with two races still undecided.

Some Republican senators were unsure about sticking with Thune, but no challenger emerged. Sen. John Barrasso remains whip, Sen. Tom Cotton remains conference chair, and Sen. Bernie Moreno will chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee, replacing Sen. Tim Scott.

"Obviously, the election result was not what we had hoped for, but I think it's important that we take the lessons from that and internalize the message the American people were sending to us and focus on the things that really matter to them," Thune told reporters.

Grassroots Anger Over the Timing

Not everyone in the party wanted the leadership votes held so soon. In a letter obtained by ABC News, dozens of Republican National Committee members urged congressional Republicans to delay leadership elections for 30 days so the party could assess what went wrong. "There is no way to sugarcoat what happened on Election Day. From coast to coast, and in some of the reddest parts of the country, Republicans were humiliated," the letter said. Lawmakers went ahead anyway.

What It Means for Americans

Democrats hold a 254-166 advantage in the incoming House with 15 races still undecided, according to ABC News, giving them firm control of the chamber's agenda, committees and subpoena power starting in January. That sets up two years of investigations and oversight fights, including over the Iran war and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. ABC reported the current GOP-led House voted this week to table an impeachment resolution against Hegseth, effectively killing it in this Congress, but a Democratic majority could revisit the issue next year.

With Jordan at the helm, Republicans are likely to respond with aggressive messaging and procedural resistance rather than bipartisan deal-making. For voters, that could mean more gridlock on spending, health care and the economy at a time when inflation is heating up again and Washington faces deadlines that require both parties to cooperate.

The lame-duck session now underway will be Republicans' last chance to use their current majorities before the gavels change hands on January 3, 2027.