House Republicans to elect a new leader as they look to rebuild from midterm defeat
Just one week after losing the majority in the midterm elections, House Republicans will meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to pick a minority leader for the next Congress.The choice to succeed Mike Johnson, R-La., as the top House Republican will be between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.The election — which will be conducted by secret ballot — represents a high-stakes decision for the party that will help determine which way it goes as it looks to regroup from a staggering defeat that saw Democrats flip more than 40 GOP seats en route to winning back the majority."I think what develops here will become a larger, external conversation about the direction of the Republican Party," said former House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, who held the gavel in an acting role during the tumultuous GOP speakership fight in 2023.Republicans say they are ready to turn the page on their losses and start rebuilding to regain voters' trust.But first, they will have to decide between two candidates who would bring very different styles of leadership.In Scalise, 61, House Republicans would be choosing a form of continuity — the No.
2 House Republican since 2023, and someone who has served in broader GOP leadership roles for more than 10 years.He's seen as more moderate than Jordan, and in a letter to colleagues announcing his candidacy, the close Trump ally said his approach to the job would be "conservative and consensus-driven.""My number one goal as Republican Leader will be to win back the majority and I expect you to hold me accountable to that mission," Scalise wrote.
"To succeed, we will need to be effective in both the oversight and legislative fights ahead, but we will also need to lay out a clear and optimistic vision for America.""We have big tasks ahead, and tested leadership is needed now more than ever," he added.In Jordan, 62, Republicans would...