House Republicans Meet To Choose Scalise Or Jordan As Minority Leader
House Republicans convened in Washington on Tuesday morning to choose a new minority leader, weighing Steve Scalise of Louisiana against Jim Jordan of Ohio as they regroup from a bruising midterm defeat that will leave them in a historically small minority next year.[1]
The closed-door conference meeting began at 9 a.m. Eastern, with an internal leadership election expected following an afternoon vote that will determine who succeeds Speaker Mike Johnson as the party's top figure in the House once Republicans officially enter the minority in January.[2] Johnson, who has said he will remain speaker until early January, has publicly praised both contenders and declined to endorse either, while former President Donald Trump has also stayed neutral in the race.[1]
Scalise, 61, is pitching himself as a proven party manager and fundraiser, highlighting his role in delivering GOP legislative priorities such as Trump's major tax-and-spending-cut package and stressing that he raised $67.9 million this cycle as evidence he can finance an eventual push back to the majority.[2] Jordan, 62, is emphasizing a hard-charging political approach, telling colleagues Republicans need an "offense, not defense" strategy that focuses less on reacting to Democrats and more on aggressively defining future campaigns.[2] Whoever wins will inherit the task of leading what party insiders describe as a "historically small" House GOP conference and plotting a path to reclaim the majority in 2028 after what one account called a "brutal drubbing" at the polls.[2]
Johnson's decision to step aside in the new Congress set off the current contest, as Republicans scrambled to define a post-election identity and leadership slate after losing ground in races many believed were within reach.[1] The outgoing speaker has framed the transition as an opportunity for "fresh leadership" in the minority while arguing that the intraparty choice between Scalise and Jordan reflects the breadth of the GOP conference, from institutional leadership to combative conservative activism.[1] The leadership election was scheduled as a two-step process on Tuesday, with the morning conference used for members to air grievances about the midterm performance and hear final pitches before balloting later in the day.[2]
Across the Capitol, Senate Republicans also gathered Tuesday morning, underscoring how the midterm setback has triggered a broader reckoning within the party's congressional ranks.[1] A group led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has formally petitioned to hold a conference vote on delaying the Senate GOP leadership elections, arguing colleagues should first fully examine what went wrong.[1] Senate Republican leader John Thune said Monday that his conference would begin with a "fulsome, robust conversation" about the midterm results before deciding whether to move ahead with or postpone a vote expected to keep him as minority leader.[1]
For House Republicans, the outcome of the Scalise-Jordan contest will signal which vision of recovery from minority status carries more weight: Scalise's promise of disciplined messaging and cash-heavy campaigning, or Jordan's call for a more confrontational, movement-style politics aimed at reshaping the party's national brand before 2028.[2]
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, House Republicans are meeting at 9 a.m. Eastern to begin choosing their next leadership team after Speaker Mike Johnson decided to step aside once the party moves into the minority.
- The House Republican leadership election to pick a new minority leader is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, with a morning conference meeting followed by an afternoon vote.
- Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio are the only two Republicans vying to become House GOP minority leader, and Johnson has publicly praised both while saying he will remain speaker until early January.
- The leadership race is described as a contest to head a "historically small" House Republican conference after a "brutal drubbing" at the polls, with the winner responsible for trying to regain the majority in 2028.
- The plan for the new Congress has Mike Johnson stepping aside from leadership, and the article notes that former President Donald Trump has not publicly taken a side between Scalise and Jordan.
- Steve Scalise, 61, is pitching himself by citing his role in delivering legislative wins such as Trump’s major tax-and-spending-cut bill and by emphasizing that he raised $67.9 million this cycle as evidence of his fundraising strength.
- Jim Jordan, 62, is promoting an "offense, not defense" strategy, arguing Republicans must run more aggressively rather than simply highlighting Democrats’ positions if they want to win future elections.
- On the same Tuesday morning, Senate Republicans are also gathering, while a group led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has formally petitioned to hold a conference vote on delaying their leadership elections.
- Senate Republican leader John Thune said on Monday, November 9, that the GOP conference will first have a "fulsome, robust conversation" about the midterm results and then decide whether to proceed with or postpone electing him as minority leader.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The House Republican leadership election is taking place Tuesday, November 10, 2026, with a morning conference meeting and an afternoon vote.
- The contest is explicitly framed as a race to lead a "historically small" House Republican conference heading into the minority after a "brutal drubbing" at the polls, with the winner tasked with trying to regain the majority in 2028.
- The article reiterates that Mike Johnson is stepping aside from leadership in the new Congress and notes that President Donald Trump has not publicly weighed in on choosing between Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
- Scalise, 61, highlights in his pitch to colleagues that he helped deliver legislative wins such as Trump's major tax-and-spending-cut bill, and he emphasizes having raised $67.9 million this cycle as proof of his fundraising strength.
- Jordan, 62, underscores his "offense, not defense" strategy in his appeal, arguing that Republicans must go beyond spotlighting Democrats' positions and instead run more aggressively to win future elections.
- On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, House Republicans are scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Eastern to begin considering their next leadership team following Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to step aside in the minority.
- The article confirms that only Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio are vying for the House GOP minority leader role, with Johnson publicly praising both and reiterating he will remain speaker until early January.
- In the Senate, Republicans are set to meet the same morning, and a small group led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has formally petitioned to hold a conference vote on delaying the leadership elections before proceeding.
- Senate Republican leader John Thune said on Monday, November 9, that the conference will first have a "fulsome, robust conversation" about the midterm results and then decide whether to proceed with or delay electing him as minority leader.