Jim Jordan Elected to Lead House GOP   11/11 06:17

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won the race Tuesday to serve as 
House Republican leader as the party prepares for its new role in the minority 
and a flurry of Democratic investigations aimed at its standard-bearer in the 
White House.

   Jordan, who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated 
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret-ballot election of Republicans who 
will serve in the next Congress. The vote was 106-73.

   Jordan, 62, is a co-founder of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus 
and served as its first chairman. His candidacy appealed to those looking for 
new leadership in the wake of last week's election debacle and to those who 
like his hard-hitting political style.

   "The way that Jim fights says a lot about where this conference is," said 
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who nominated Jordan to serve as minority leader.

   Jordan will inherit a historically small House Republican conference that is 
only beginning to grapple with its loss of power as President Donald Trump 
serves out his final two years in office. Leading the party back to the House 
majority in 2028 is sure to be a stiff climb, given the scope of Democratic 
victories in the midterms.

   In brief remarks to reporters after his win, Jordan said Republicans would 
focus on fighting for American families over the next two years.

   "When Democrats offer more government, we'll offer more freedom," Jordan 
said. "We will bring that fight in committee, on the floor and on the stump 
every single day."

   Scalise and Jordan were a familiar match-up 

   Jordan and Scalise came to Congress together two decades ago. They both ran 
to serve as House speaker after Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the job in 2023. 
Neither was able to rally the support necessary to secure the position, which 
eventually went to Mike Johnson, who is stepping aside from the leadership in 
the new Congress.

   Scalise, 61, has held key GOP leadership positions going back to 2014, 
serving as party whip and then as majority leader. In 2017, he was critically 
wounded when a gunman opened fire at a baseball practice where several 
Republican lawmakers and staffers were preparing for an annual charity baseball 
game against Democrats. In 2023, he was stricken with multiple myeloma, a blood 
cancer that was successfully treated.

   "Overcoming adversity is nothing new to me," Scalise said in his pitch to 
colleagues.

   He also emphasized his fundraising prowess, noting he raised $67.9 million 
for this year's midterms, with about a third of that going directly to 
individual House campaigns and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

   But the majority of Republicans opted for Jordan, who emphasized his 
experience battling with Democrats in committee rooms. Jordan served as the top 
Republican on the House oversight panel before he became the lead Republican on 
the committee six years ago. That experience proved popular with his colleagues.

   "Instead of focusing on the people, it seems that the entire objective for 
Democrats is going to be targeted investigations," said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, 
R-Fla. "And Jim Jordan knows about weaponization."

   Fewer moderates left among House Republicans 

   Scalise's backers liked his experience getting legislation over the finish 
line. And Scalise edged Jordan in a similar secret-ballot vote three years ago 
in the race to succeed McCarthy, though neither would end up getting the job.

   But as a result of the election last week, the House Republican conference 
is smaller, with a disproportionate number of moderates and swing-district 
lawmakers retiring or voted out. Many of those returning were hungry for a new 
leader.

   "We're a significantly more conservative conference than we were," Mast said.

   Democrats argued that Jordan's selection indicated that Republicans took the 
wrong lesson from the election loss.

   "I would think that they would want somebody that was going to moderate 
towards what the voters want. They lost so many Republican voters," said Rep. 
Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. "Obviously that's not the case."

   "The House Republican caucus clearly chose the more extreme candidate," said 
Rep. Ted Lieu of California and vice chair of the House Democratic caucus. 
"Hopefully, he'll work with Democrats. We'll see what happens."

   Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota was elected as the Republican whip, the No. 2 
position in the leadership hierarchy. He beat out Rep. August Pfluger of Texas 
for the job. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan won reelection to serve as 
conference chair, the No. 3 position.

   Democrats will hold their leadership elections next week 

   Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is expected to become the next House 
speaker, the first African American to hold the job, and Rep. Katherine Clark 
of Massachusetts is expected to become the next majority leader. She would be 
the first woman to hold that position.