House Republicans are set to choose a new leader behind closed doors Tuesday, one week after a midterm defeat that cost them control of the chamber. Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan are competing to succeed Mike Johnson as the party's leader in the next Congress. Democrats flipped more than 40 Republican seats to reclaim the majority.
The secret ballot will give Republicans a choice between two distinct leadership styles as they seek to rebuild support among voters. Former House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, who temporarily presided over the chamber during the Republican speakership struggle in 2023, said the outcome could feed a broader public debate about the party's direction.
Scalise, 61, offers continuity with the current leadership. He has been the second-ranking House Republican since 2023 and has held positions in the party's broader leadership for more than a decade. Viewed as more moderate than Jordan, the close Trump ally described his intended approach in a letter to colleagues as "conservative and consensus-driven." He made recovering the majority his principal goal and urged colleagues to judge him against it.
Scalise also argued that Republicans must be effective in legislative battles and oversight while presenting an optimistic vision for the country. Jordan, 62, has emphasized a more confrontational approach. A former college wrestling coach and co-founder of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, he has experience on both the House Oversight and Judiciary committees. Those panels are expected to be central to Democrats' planned investigations of President Trump and his administration.
In his own letter to colleagues, Jordan argued that Republicans needed to take the initiative to win elections. He criticized the party's reliance on short-term responses, directing that criticism at the leadership team headed by Johnson and Scalise. Jordan presented his oversight experience and familiarity with Democratic tactics as qualifications for leading Republicans against the incoming majority.
The contest revisits the 2023 competition to replace Kevin McCarthy as speaker, when both Scalise and Jordan sought the job. Republicans eventually chose Johnson after several candidates could not assemble enough support. Republican strategist Leslie Shedd said the contenders now need a clear, substantive explanation of how they would guide the conference through its difficulties.
Trump has so far stayed out of this leadership race, although he endorsed Jordan in 2023. John Leganski, a former McCarthy aide, estimated that more than 70% of incoming House Republicans were elected after Trump's first presidential victory. He said their political ties to Trump could give the president considerable influence over the conference's direction.
Leganski also said the scale of Democrats' victory would constrain the next Republican leader's leverage when Congress convenes in January. He described the central tasks as rebuilding toward a House majority and obstructing Democrats, primarily by voting against their proposals.
