Longtime GOP leader faces uncertain future after Jim Jordan wins House leadership fight

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the No.2 Republican in the House of Representatives and the most tenured figure among the chamber's party leadership, declined to say whether he would commit to serving the full term in the upcoming 120th Congress."There’s no decision on what’s next," Scalise said on Wednesday."I’ve got to get through these next few weeks, and then we have a lot of decisions to make about what's life going to look like in the minority.

But I sure still have a great passion for this country."JIM JORDAN THROWS HAT IN RING FOR HOUSE MINORITY LEADER AS GOP PICKS UP PIECES AFTER BLUE WAVEHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks during a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., right, and Rep.

Mark Messmer, R-Ind., also appear.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Scalise’s answer follows a loss to Rep.

Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in a bid to become the party’s new minority leader.His defeat now forces Scalise to decide whether he intends to retire or remain on Capitol Hill as a rank-and-file member of the minority as Democrats retake control of the House in January.For now, Scalise stressed that he remains focused on securing GOP priorities before the new year."There’s a lot more for us to do.

We have a few weeks left in the lame duck [session] and, frankly, a few big, big issues ahead.I want to see us do as much as we possibly can while we still have this majority," Scalise said."I’ve got a lot more gas in the tank.

Obviously, all of us know there’s some real change coming in January.We still have work to do right now."Jordan beat out Scalise in a 106-73 vote in Tuesday’s GOP elections.Scalise, who was elected in 2008 and first joined Republican leadership in 2014, proved a steady figure and mouthpiece for conservative principles even as the party shifted dramatically around him.Scali...