House Republicans, shell-shocked by historic defeats Tuesday, will return to the Capitol next week for another election: one to determine who will shepherd their diminished ranks for the next two years, and shape the role they will play in the minority.
As it became clear that Democrats had won the majority back by a margin far beyond what most election prognosticators suggested, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Wednesday that he would not seek to stay on as minority leader.
By stepping away, Johnson set the stage for a rematch between two longtime rivals: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Jordan and Scalise are the only two running for the seat — members were given until Friday afternoon to file their intention to run for leadership.
While the two have publicly stood united behind Johnson during his tenure, they have both been chasing the top seat in the House GOP for years. Their most recent attempt came in 2023 during a chaotic speakership race, when an aggressive push by Jordan left both him and Scalise sidelined in favor of Johnson.
The two men have divergent styles — with Jordan seen as a firebrand and Scalise as a pragmatist. Jordan allies question whether Scalise, who served as Johnson’s No. 2, would represent a real change from the status quo. Scalise’s backers, meanwhile, ask whether Jordan has the temperament to rebuild a shattered conference.
Their campaign for the top spot began even before Johnson’s announcement; both men traveled widely this election, fundraising and campaigning for colleagues as they tried to build a base of support. Now, with the leadership election only days away, Jordan and Scalise are making their final pitches to their colleagues.
Jordan is suggesting that the party adopt an aggressive strategy to defend President Donald Trump against Democrats’ planned investigations in the next two years. Scalise is asking for unity in the wake of the major losses, and after four years in which the squabbles of an unruly GOP majority sometimes made it difficult to get Republican priorities passed.
In a letter to colleagues Wednesday, Jordan touted his record as a veteran of both the Oversight and Judiciary committees — both of which are expected to play key roles in any Trump investigations — and argued that he is the best-positioned candidate to fight back against the incoming Democratic majority.
“I know what it will take to lead our conference in the minority, to stay unified, and to coordinate and calibrate our response to the Democrats’ tactics,” he wrote. “We need a leadership team that is active and engaged, forward-thinking and straight-shooting.”
Scalise, in his own letter Thursday, said his “number one goal as Republican Leader will be to win back the majority and I expect you to hold me accountable to that mission.” He also argued that the GOP needs to do more than battle Democrats.
“To succeed, we will need to be effective in both the oversight and legislative fights ahead, but we will also need to lay out a clear and optimistic vision for America,” Scalise wrote.
Jordan, a founding member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, will probably receive the support of many of its members.
Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Harris (R-Maryland) has endorsed Jordan, telling Newsmax on Thursday that the Ohio lawmaker is “the type of communicator we need.”
While the Freedom Caucus — which has about 30 members — suffered some losses Tuesday, the majority of Republican members who did not get reelected were part of the party’s larger, more-moderate wing.
That moderate wing contains many of Scalise’s closest allies, and its reduced numbers could complicate Scalise’s bid. Still, his backers told The Washington Post that the longtime No. 2 enjoys widespread support in the conference.
Several Republicans backing Scalise told The Post that he is the candidate most likely to lead the party back to a majority in 2028. One of those supporters, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida) said that Scalise will be able to recapture the majority by turning the party “back to basics.”
“The basics are: the economy, national security,” he said.
The chief of staff of a member who was ousted Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the election’s aftermath, noted that Jordan is well-equipped to handle defense on investigations.
But the staffer questioned Jordan’s recent efforts to present himself as a unifier, citing his history of engaging in procedural fights, including his participation in the effort to push out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.
“Breathing fire, sure, but then what?” this aide said. “The new conference is going to have a different composition, and it’s still going to have people that aren’t necessarily all fire breathers. They’re workhorses.”
Jordan’s backers dismiss those concerns, and say a vote for Scalise would be a vote for the team that led the House GOP to one of its worst defeats in recent history.
Rep. Marlin A. Stutzman (R-Indiana) said Thursday on Newsmax that he is going to support Jordan because the party needs “new leadership, new voices.”
“I appreciate everything they’ve done and tried to do, but it didn’t work,” Stutzman said, later adding, “I’m a business guy, and if in business all of a sudden you lose that much of your work to your competitor, you’re going to fire people.”
Besides the race for minority leader, Republicans will choose a new No. 2 and No. 3 this week.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota), the current No. 3 House Republican, is running for minority whip — the No. 2 spot.
House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Michigan) is running to keep her position, and would be the No. 3 House Republican if she wins.
Both are facing relatively unexpected challenges from younger members of the party, who are arguing that it is time to swap out the leadership at all levels.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) is challenging Emmer for the whip position, and Reps. Erin Houchin (R-Indiana) and Greg Steube (R-Florida) are challenging McClain.
Harris, the Freedom Caucus chairman, told Newsmax he thinks Emmer will remain as whip, “but I think a lot of the other positions will undergo changes, which is expected when you get a drubbing in an election.”
Although McClain, as is expected of conference chairs, was heavily involved shaping the GOP’s messaging and often campaigned on behalf of Republicans this cycle, some members say she should not be blamed for the losses. And several said that she ought to stay in her role as well.
“Her experienced leadership is needed now more than ever,” said Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois).
Some members told The Post that House GOP leaders are not to blame for the midterm results — or the two years of slow governing in the House.
“Anybody that blames our leadership for the losses that Republicans suffered in this election is misguided,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho). “When you look at the things that we couldn’t do, it wasn’t the Democrats’ fault; it was the Republicans’ fault that wouldn’t vote [to move legislation forward].”
Others were more direct: “In my race, yes the district changed. The district is really difficult, but my opponent wasn’t my opponent. My opponent was Trump, every time he opened his mouth,” said a House Republican who survived a competitive race, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the leadership races.
Whoever led the conference, and whatever their message was, this member said, “just didn’t matter.”
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