House Republicans Pick Jim Jordan as Leader; Senate GOP Keeps Thune

House Republicans have chosen Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to lead them in the next Congress, when they will be in the minority for the first time in years. In a closed-door, secret-ballot vote on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Jordan defeated outgoing Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana by 106 votes to 73, according to Roll Call and ABC News.

On the same day, Senate Republicans kept their leadership team in place. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota was re-elected as the Senate GOP leader by acclamation after an open discussion among senators about the midterm results, with no challenger stepping forward, ABC News reported.

A new House GOP team

Jordan will succeed Speaker Mike Johnson as the top House Republican. Johnson announced last week that he would not seek a leadership post in the new Congress, which convenes on Jan. 3, 2027. Other results from the House GOP elections:

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the current majority whip, will serve as minority whip after defeating Rep. August Pfluger of Texas.
Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan won the No. 3 post, conference chair, over Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida.

Jordan, first elected in 2007, co-founded the House Freedom Caucus and chairs the House Judiciary Committee. He is a close ally of President Donald Trump. In a letter to colleagues before the vote, he pitched himself as an experienced, tested leader, according to Al Jazeera. After winning, ABC News reported, he said Republicans would stand up for American families and offer more freedom as an alternative to Democratic proposals for more government.

Scalise, first elected in 2008, argued during the race that he had a record of bringing members together. Both men ran for speaker in 2023 after Kevin McCarthy was removed from the post, a contest that ultimately went to Johnson.

How each side sees the moment

Supporters of Jordan inside the party welcomed the choice. Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris called him “a fierce fighter, uniter, principled conservative,” according to Al Jazeera. Emmer said Republicans will work to regain voters’ trust and build a new majority in 2028.

Some Republicans called for more reflection. Dozens of Republican National Committee members sent a letter on Monday asking both chambers to delay leadership elections by 30 days to study the midterm losses, ABC News reported. Former Speaker McCarthy said on a podcast that the new leader should acknowledge what happened in the election. In the whip race, Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas, who backed Pfluger, pointed to failed procedural votes this year as problems that should not have happened in the majority.

Democrats, meanwhile, are preparing to take control of the House. According to ABC News, Democrats hold a 254-166 edge with 15 races still undecided. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, expected to become speaker, told Roll Call it is “a historic majority in the 21st century.”

Obviously, the election result was not what we had hoped for.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune, as reported by ABC News

The Senate picture

In the Senate, Thune will keep his post, with Sen. John Barrasso remaining as whip and Sen. Tom Cotton remaining as conference chair. Sen. Bernie Moreno, who ran unopposed, will replace Sen. Tim Scott as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the group that works to elect GOP senators. ABC News reported that Republicans lost at least seven Senate seats in the midterms, with two races still undecided. Thune pledged that his party would focus on the issues voters care about most.

What to watch next

The new leadership teams take over on Jan. 3. Analysts quoted by Roll Call expect Democrats to use their House majority to investigate the Trump administration, and Jordan is expected to lead the Republican response. When asked whether he could work with Democrats under that kind of scrutiny, President Trump pointed to his first term, saying in effect that he had handled it before for four years, Roll Call reported. Republicans are also expected to debate the party’s direction ahead of the 2028 elections.

Before then, the current Congress still has unfinished business in its lame-duck session. Upstormed News will follow these developments.

Why it matters for families

Congressional leaders decide which bills come up for a vote and how each party responds to the other. The people chosen this week will shape the debates families hear about over the next two years, from government spending to oversight of federal agencies.

What do you think of the new Republican leadership in Congress? Tell us in the comments.

Sources: Roll Call, “Jim Jordan picked as new minority leader for House GOP” (November 10, 2026); ABC News, “House Republicans elect Jim Jordan as minority leader for the next Congress” (November 10, 2026); Al Jazeera, “Republicans elect Trump ally Jim Jordan as new US House minority leader” (November 10, 2026)