Scalise and Jordan battle to lead shrunken House GOP minority

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana will run for House minority leader, The Hill reported Wednesday, hours after Speaker Mike Johnson told staff he would not seek the post following the Republican Party's midterm wipeout ¹².

The contest sets up a likely showdown between Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, two men who reached for the speaker's gavel once before and fell short ¹². House Republicans are expected to elect their new leader when members-elect gather in Washington next week ².

Johnson, also of Louisiana, is expected to keep his seat as a rank-and-file member from his Shreveport-area district, which he won for an eighth term ². The speaker's gavel is expected to pass to Democrats, who are preparing to nominate House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York when the new Congress convenes and votes on Jan. 3, 2027 ².

A fight over how hard to resist

Scalise served as House minority whip from 2019 to 2022, when Democrats controlled the House, before becoming majority leader in 2023 after Republicans won the chamber back ¹. He has been one of Johnson's closest allies, serving as his right-hand man in navigating the divisions within the House GOP conference and advancing President Trump's legislative agenda ¹.

From Channel GOPJeffries: House Democrats have taken back CongressHakeem Jeffries · 127 plays · captioned, with the source named

Scalise won the Republican nomination to be Speaker in 2023, but he withdrew from the race when it became clear he would not win enough support from his conference ¹. Jordan, the brawling former wrestler who helmed the Judiciary Committee, has long been preferred by the hard right, including some from the Freedom Caucus, the AP reported ².

The AP described Scalise as having long courted backing from the House GOP's conservative wing, particularly business and energy sector lawmakers ². Both men reached for the speaker's gavel once McCarthy was forced aside in 2023, but they failed to win majority support from their colleagues, splitting the votes ².

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will run for minority leader, setting up what will likely be a contentious contest against House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for the position.

Johnson's sunny assertions that Republicans would defy history in the midterms, as voters traditionally have punished the president's party in power, failed to hold, the AP reported ². Instead, Republicans were trounced as Democrats swept to the House majority, leaving Johnson without a path to power ².

What happens next

The leadership vote next week will decide who leads the Republican minority against a Democratic majority that is expected to take control of the House ². The speaker's election is among the first votes of the new Congress, on Jan. 3, 2027 ².

That matters because the new GOP leader will set the tone for how Republicans respond to Democratic oversight of the Trump administration, with Jordan preferred by the party's hard right and Scalise having courted business and energy sector lawmakers ¹².

The Record

1. Jan 1, 2023Scalise served as House minority whip from 2019 to 2022, before becoming majority leader in 2023 after Republicans won the chamber back ¹.
2. Oct 1, 2023Scalise won the Republican nomination to be Speaker in 2023, but withdrew when it became clear he would not win enough support from his conference ¹.
3. Nov 4, 2026Speaker Mike Johnson told staff Wednesday morning he would not run for minority leader after the GOP's midterm wipeout ¹².
4. Jan 3, 2027The House speaker's election is among the first votes of the new Congress, on Jan. 3, 2027 ².

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<h2>Scalise and Jordan battle to lead shrunken House GOP minority</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Capitol Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/scalise-and-jordan-battle-to-lead-shrunken-house-gop-minority">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana will run for House minority leader, The Hill reported Wednesday, hours after Speaker Mike Johnson told staff he would not seek the post following the Republican Party&#39;s midterm wipeout .</p> <p>The contest sets up a likely showdown between Scalise and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, two men who reached for the speaker&#39;s gavel once before and fell short . House Republicans are expected to elect their new leader when members-elect gather in Washington next week .</p> <p>Johnson, also of Louisiana, is expected to keep his seat as a rank-and-file member from his Shreveport-area district, which he won for an eighth term . The speaker&#39;s gavel is expected to pass to Democrats, who are preparing to nominate House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York when the new Congress convenes and votes on Jan. 3, 2027 .</p> <h2>A fight over how hard to resist</h2> <p>Scalise served as House minority whip from 2019 to 2022, when Democrats controlled the House, before becoming majority leader in 2023 after Republicans won the chamber back . He has been one of Johnson&#39;s closest allies, serving as his right-hand man in navigating the divisions within the House GOP conference and advancing President Trump&#39;s legislative agenda .</p> <p>Scalise won the Republican nomination to be Speaker in 2023, but he withdrew from the race when it became clear he would not win enough support from his conference . Jordan, the brawling former wrestler who helmed the Judiciary Committee, has long been preferred by the hard right, including some from the Freedom Caucus, the AP reported .</p> <p>The AP described Scalise as having long courted backing from the House GOP&#39;s conservative wing, particularly business and energy sector lawmakers . Both men reached for the speaker&#39;s gavel once McCarthy was forced aside in 2023, but they failed to win majority support from their colleagues, splitting the votes .</p> <blockquote><p>House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will run for minority leader, setting up what will likely be a contentious contest against House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for the position.</p><p>&mdash; The Hill, news report</p></blockquote> <p>Johnson&#39;s sunny assertions that Republicans would defy history in the midterms, as voters traditionally have punished the president&#39;s party in power, failed to hold, the AP reported . Instead, Republicans were trounced as Democrats swept to the House majority, leaving Johnson without a path to power .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>The leadership vote next week will decide who leads the Republican minority against a Democratic majority that is expected to take control of the House . The speaker&#39;s election is among the first votes of the new Congress, on Jan. 3, 2027 .</p> <p>That matters because the new GOP leader will set the tone for how Republicans respond to Democratic oversight of the Trump administration, with Jordan preferred by the party&#39;s hard right and Scalise having courted business and energy sector lawmakers .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/scalise-and-jordan-battle-to-lead-shrunken-house-gop-minority">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/scalise-and-jordan-battle-to-lead-shrunken-house-gop-minority.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “House Majority Leader Steve Scalise will run for minority leader” (2026-11-04). thehill.com/homenews/house/6198097-steve-scalise-house-minor
2. AP News, “Speaker Johnson won't seek reelection as House Republican leader after party's midterm wipeout” (2026-11-04). apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-house-republicans-electio

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