(AFP) – Jim Jordan, a hardline ally of President Donald Trump, was elected leader of the Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, defeating fellow conservative Steve Scalise as the party reckons with a crushing midterm election defeat. Jordan, the combative chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, beat the current majority leader by 106 votes to 73 in a secret ballot, US media reported, putting him in charge of the party’s opposition to the incoming Democratic majority.
The Ohio congressman will replace House Speaker Mike Johnson, who announced he was stepping down from leadership after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in last week’s elections. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, reelected John Thune as their leader, retaining their existing leadership team despite demands from conservatives for a reckoning over the election losses.
Jordan, a founding member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, had pitched himself as the fighter Republicans need to confront Democrats during the final two years of Trump’s presidency. His victory represented a rejection of the party’s established leadership, with Scalise having served in senior Republican positions for more than a decade. Both men are staunch Trump allies, but the president declined to endorse either candidate.
The contest was a rematch of their 2023 battle for the speakership following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy. Scalise initially won the Republican nomination but withdrew after failing to secure sufficient support, while Jordan subsequently lost three votes on the House floor before Johnson emerged as a compromise candidate. Jordan, a former champion wrestler who has represented Ohio in Congress since 2007, built his reputation as a political brawler and fierce critic of the Republican establishment. Former speaker John Boehner once branded him a “legislative terrorist” for his uncompromising tactics. He also emerged as a leading defender of Trump during congressional investigations into the president’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Thune’s reelection as Senate Republican leader came after conservative lawmakers temporarily stalled proceedings, demanding a clearer strategy for confronting the incoming Democratic majority. “I appreciated the opportunity to have an open, honest, and transparent conversation with my colleagues today,” he said in a statement, adding that he was honored to retain their support. Thune, who will become Senate minority leader in January, pledged to work with Trump and oppose Democratic efforts to enact what he called their “far-left, liberal agenda.”
© 2024 AFP
