Secret Ballot, 106 to 73: Party Picks a New Boss

House Republicans picked Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as their minority leader Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in a closed-door secret-ballot vote of 106 to 73. Sources in the room told Fox News Digital the count, and CNN reported the same number. The loser was Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. The public wasn't in the room. Neither were the Republicans who lost their races last week.

Who Gets a Vote

The rules of this little election tell you plenty. Voting was open to incumbent House Republicans and GOP members-elect projected to win last week's races. Republicans who lost weren't allowed to vote. A simple majority of the conference was needed. Roughly 179 people decided who will lead the party when the new Congress convenes in January, and they did it behind a closed door. Fox News Digital said the race was believed to be narrow, and heard loud, sustained applause in the hallway when the result became official.

Jordan replaces outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who announced he was stepping aside and not seeking another leadership position for the next two years after historic losses in the midterms. Scalise, a close Johnson ally, has been majority leader since 2023, three years ago. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the majority whip, beat Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, 103 to 76 for the No. 2 post. A conference chair race among Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., and Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., rounded out the day's shuffling.

The Pitch: A New Coach

A source close to Jordan described his two-part sales pitch. First, that he's the best investigator, and the next Congress under a Democratic majority will be "dominated by investigations." Second, that Scalise has been in leadership too long and Republicans "have been calling the same plays for 20 years." The source summed it up: "We just had our worst loss in modern history. Time for a new coach."

Notice what the pitch isn't. It isn't about housing, wages, or anything that touches the people those 179 members are supposed to answer to. It's about who can best fight a turf war over investigations. At a Tuesday morning candidate forum, Scalise and Jordan both pitched themselves as best able to unify the conference and signaled they'd give lawmakers wide berth to "vote their districts." Members asked how they'd handle leaks. The session was largely cordial. Jordan told Fox News Digital the forum went well but said he doesn't divulge details of closed-door meetings.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, said: "I personally like Steve, but he's been in leadership since before I was in Congress. And Jim Jordan, while he's a leader in Congress, he hasn't been part of the leadership team. He basically rose through the ranks because he was super effective." Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said Jordan "understands what we're up against," adding, "His ability to communicate is really kind of unrivaled by anybody else in the House right now."

The Apparatus Reshuffles

Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2007, 19 years ago. He helped found the House Freedom Caucus in 2015, 11 years ago, and he's a former wrestling coach. He led GOP investigations into former special counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. CNN described the choice as a clear sign Republicans are ready to push back against Democrats, who will have an oversight agenda targeting Trump's White House. Fox News Digital said Jordan will be the go-to defender as Democrats ready investigations targeting Trump's Cabinet, family and business interests.

That's the shape of the next two years, laid out plainly: one faction of the governing class investigating the other, the other faction defending itself, and a closed-door vote deciding the defenders' captain. Voters had their say last week and delivered what the article itself calls a historic loss. The party's answer was to swap one career insider for another and call it a fresh start.