House Republicans vote for new minority leadership as Scalise and Jordan battle to replace Johnson

House Republicans gathered Tuesday behind closed doors to elect a new leadership team — the first order of business after a midterm election that swept them out of the majority and left the conference searching for both a direction and someone to blame.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who will remain a rank-and-file member representing his Shreveport-area Louisiana district, announced he would not seek the minority leader post, clearing the way for a two-person race between Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio. Candidates made their pitches to the conference beginning at 9 a.m. ET, with a vote scheduled for the afternoon. Either candidate needs a majority of the conference to win, with ballots cast by secret ballot.

The contest is a near-replay of 2023, when both Scalise and Jordan reached for the speaker's gavel after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, only to fall short and watch Johnson emerge as the consensus choice. This time, there is no obvious fallback.

Scalise pitched colleagues on his ability to unify the conference's factions against what he called the 'socialists' coming to Washington. Jordan, the founding chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, made a different argument: that his years leading oversight investigations make him uniquely equipped to combat Democratic probes of the Trump administration.

I'm battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats' playbook.— Jim Jordan, Judiciary Committee Chairman

The choice between the two reflects a deeper fault line in the conference. Scalise has long cultivated backing from the business and energy wings of the House GOP, while Jordan draws his support from the hard right, including members of the Freedom Caucus. A House Republican backing Jordan framed the moment in stark terms.

We're ready to move on. We need a pivot. Everything is on the table.— Anonymous House GOP lawmaker backing Jordan

The leadership shake-up extends well below the top job. Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota is seeking to become minority whip — the No. 2 post — but faces a challenge from August Pfluger of Texas, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill. Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan is fighting off two challengers: Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida, who publicly accused the current leadership team of choosing 'accommodation over conviction'.

Accommodation over conviction.— Greg Steube, R-Florida

Johnson's exit from leadership is a rapid reversal for a figure often described as an accidental speaker. He won the gavel in October 2023 after colleagues could not agree on a successor to McCarthy — the first speaker ever removed by his own party. Johnson had distinguished himself before the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack by organizing Republican support for Donald Trump's challenges to the 2020 election results. Once speaker, he drew close to Trump, led passage of the GOP's signature tax and spending package, and shielded the administration from embarrassing votes, including blocking an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by sending lawmakers home. He won reelection to his own seat for a sixth term, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Across the Capitol, Senate Republicans also convened Tuesday to elect their leadership, though with less open drama. Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is running for minority leader with no announced opponent, but a faction of senators pushed to delay the vote, arguing the party needs more time to reckon with its losses.

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. 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. We need leadership in place fast, but Tuesday is too soon.— Sen. David McCormick, R-Pennsylvania

A group of Senate Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, sent a letter to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas calling for 'a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead' before Tuesday's elections. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming and Cotton are expected to retain their positions as the second- and third-ranked Republicans in the next Congress, according to NBC News.

On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — both New York Democrats — are positioned to become the next House speaker and Senate majority leader, respectively. NBC News projects Democrats will secure 259 House seats, giving Jeffries a large majority heading into the speakership vote on January 3, 2027. No one has formally challenged either for their party's top posts, though Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland opened the door Monday to potentially running for Senate majority leader amid grassroots pressure for an alternative to Schumer.

The senator has received an outpouring of calls on running for majority leader and is now in active listening mode. The door is not shut.— A person familiar with Van Hollen's thinking

Several House progressives said they remain undecided on whether to back Jeffries for speaker, with grassroots groups urging the party to more aggressively confront Trump. Senate Democrats will elect their leadership team in early December; House Democrats will choose theirs next week.

Why it matters — The leadership choices House and Senate Republicans make Tuesday will define how the party positions itself in opposition to a Democratic majority — and whether it treats its midterm losses as a mandate for ideological change or a reason to dig in.

Reported by thehill.com, politico.com, rawstory.com, latimes.com, nbcnews.com, axios.com