Jim Jordan installed as House Republican minority leader in 106-73 vote, sharpening GOP’s hard-right turn
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Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won the House Republican conference vote to become minority leader, underscoring how the party is embracing a more rigid, Trump-aligned, far-right direction for the 120th Congress.
House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their minority leader for the 120th Congress, with the vote tally reported as 106-73. The result was disclosed by two lawmakers and a GOP aide who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to release the numbers.
Jordan's victory puts him at the head of the party’s effort to dig in after last week’s significant electoral defeats. He campaigned on a more conservative, hard-charging style that stays tightly aligned with President Donald Trump’s agenda, signaling that the GOP intends to double down on confrontation rather than reconsider its direction.
While Jordan cast himself as a change agent, he stressed continuity with Trump rather than any meaningful break with the former president’s policies. His approach is expected to center on obstructing Democratic investigations into the Trump administration and opposing bipartisan legislative initiatives that might actually function in a divided Congress.
During a candidate forum, Jordan told fellow Republicans that the party must “give space and grace” to members voting according to their districts.
The vote also marked the end of Rep. Steve Scalise’s tenure in GOP leadership after more than a decade. Scalise, who has served in various leadership roles and survived a serious shooting injury in 2017, will return to rank-and-file status.
Rep. Mike Johnson, who was selected as speaker earlier this year, declined to run for the minority leader position and offered a brief statement on the transition:
"My plan is here. We’re focused on finishing the 119th strong. We’re going to do that. I’m still in charge here till early January, and we’re going to do our duty. And after that, my commitment and my objective is to help my team ensure that the Republican Party has a very successful 120th Congress. And we’ll see how all that develops, and that’s my commitment."
Jordan, a former Tea Party champion and founding member of the Freedom Caucus, has recently tried to broaden his appeal within the party without abandoning his hardline credentials. His election suggests that House Republicans are preparing a more combative and ideologically rigid posture in the coming Congress.