Jim Jordan Wins House Minority Leader Post With 106 Votes
The Ohio representative defeated Steve Scalise in a secret ballot despite questions about his role in a recent impeachment effort.
By Vikram Harrison ·
With House Republicans preparing to cede control of the chamber to Democrats, the party’s leadership race concluded with a decisive victory for Rep. Jim Jordan. The Ohio representative secured 106 votes in a secret ballot, defeating Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who received 73 votes.
The election took place among House Republicans taking office next year. The vote determines who will lead the minority party in a Congress controlled by the opposing side. Jordan’s win places him in charge of the Republican caucus while the party works to recover from its recent electoral performance.
Some lawmakers viewed Jordan as a fresh face compared to Scalise. Scalise is part of the current leadership that guided the party to its recent results. Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is also a close ally of the president. However, his track record includes overseeing the failed impeachment effort against former President Joe Biden in 2023 and 2024.
Jordan’s committee has been active in other legal matters as well. It recommended criminal charges against former special counsel Jack Smith. The committee alleged that Smith lied during testimony in December 2025. During the current presidential term, Jordan has argued that the criminal prosecution of the president during the Biden years was politically motivated.
Both candidates sought the speaker’s gavel in 2023 after the removal of then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Republicans initially selected Scalise, but he withdrew his candidacy. They then nominated Jordan, who could not secure a majority on the House floor due to moderate opposition. Mike Johnson of Louisiana eventually became speaker because he had made the fewest enemies in the conference.
Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma noted that both Jordan and Scalise, along with candidates for lower leadership roles, pitched themselves as representing a new direction. Lucas stated that the candidates were careful not to discuss the president during the campaign. He told HuffPost, “They all present themselves as change candidates, and they’re all very careful not to discuss the president.”
Jordan’s background offers a complex fit for the current political climate. He served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University when a team doctor sexually abused student-athletes. Jordan said he never knew of the abuse, although some former wrestlers suggested he should have. One lawmaker told HuffPost that the Ohio State situation did not come up during the contest between Jordan and Scalise.
