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Speaker Mike Johnson steps aside after Republicans lose the House

Speaker Mike Johnson steps aside after Republicans lose the House

Rule Changes

House Republicans picked Jim Jordan over Steve Scalise, 106-73, to lead them in the minority. Tom Emmer kept the whip job, and Mike Johnson will stay in Congress.

Yesterday: House Republicans elect Jim Jordan minority leader

Overview

Updated 55 minutes ago

House Republicans elected Jim Jordan as their next minority leader on Nov. 10, choosing the Ohio Judiciary Committee chairman over Steve Scalise by a 106-73 secret ballot. Jordan, a close ally of President Donald Trump, succeeds Mike Johnson, who stepped aside after Democrats won the House.

Tom Emmer kept the whip job, defeating August Pfluger. Lisa McClain won the conference chair race over Erin Houchin and Greg Steube. Jordan said Republicans will fight the Democratic majority "in committee, on the floor and on the stump."

Why it matters

The next GOP leader will decide how Republicans oppose a Democratic House and whether the party leans on oversight or rebuilding.

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Key Indicators

~260
Democratic House seats
Democrats won roughly 260 seats, the largest majority in 35 years, NBC News reported.
106-73
Jordan's winning vote
House Republicans elected Jordan over Scalise in a secret-ballot vote.
6
Johnson's House terms
He won reelection to a sixth term in his Shreveport-area district.
4
Years of GOP House control
Democrats retook the majority after four years of Republican control.

Voices

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People Involved

Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House
Leaving GOP leadership after Jordan's election; expected to keep his House seat
 Jim Jordan
Jim Jordan
House minority leader for the next Congress
Elected House minority leader for the next Congress, defeating Steve Scalise 106-73
 Steve Scalise
Steve Scalise
Current No. 2 House Republican; candidate for minority leader
Lost bid for House minority leader to Jim Jordan, 106-73
 Donald Trump
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Told reporters he would stay out of the House GOP leadership election
 Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries
House Democratic leader; candidate for speaker
Launched bid for speaker
 Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer
House Majority Whip
Re-elected GOP whip for the next Congress, defeating August Pfluger
 Lisa McClain
Lisa McClain
House GOP Conference Chair
Re-elected conference chair, defeating Erin Houchin and Greg Steube

Organizations Involved

House Republican Conference
House Republican Conference
Congressional caucus
Elected Jim Jordan as minority leader for the next Congress on Nov. 10

The House Republican Conference is the caucus of Republican members of the U.S. House.
House Committee on the Judiciary
House Committee on the Judiciary
Congressional committee
Jim Jordan's committee; he was elected House minority leader on Nov. 10

The House Judiciary Committee handles legislation and oversight related to the federal courts, civil rights, and immigration.

Timeline

12 events Latest: Yesterday Showing 8 of 12
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  1. House Republicans elect Jim Jordan minority leader

    Latest Election

    Jordan beat Steve Scalise 106-73 in a secret-ballot vote of Republicans who will serve in the next Congress.

  2. Tom Emmer wins GOP whip race

    Election

    Emmer defeated August Pfluger to keep the No. 2 House Republican post.

  3. Lisa McClain wins GOP conference chair

    Election

    McClain beat Erin Houchin and Greg Steube to keep the conference chair job.

  4. Johnson tells staff he will not seek minority leader

    Statement

    On an all-staff call, Johnson said he would step aside after the GOP's midterm losses.

  5. Johnson cites family toll in letter to colleagues

    Statement

    A letter to colleagues said the job had taken a toll on his family.

  6. Jordan launches minority leader bid

    Campaign

    The Judiciary chair told colleagues he is 'battle-tested on the oversight front' and knows the Democrats' playbook.

  7. Scalise enters leadership race

    Campaign

    The current No. 2 Republican announced a bid for minority leader.

  8. Trump says he will stay out of GOP leadership race

    Statement

    Trump told reporters he would not get involved in the House Republican leadership election, calling Johnson and his team 'fantastic.'

  9. House Republicans set Nov. 10 leadership vote

    Process

    Candidates had until noon Nov. 6 to declare. The conference votes Nov. 10 by secret ballot.

  10. Jeffries launches bid for speaker

    Campaign

    House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries formally launched his bid for speaker after Democrats won the majority.

  11. Emmer works to keep whip post

    Campaign

    Majority Whip Tom Emmer is calling members to lock down support to stay on as whip in the minority, Axios reported.

  12. Democrats win House majority

    Election

    Democrats took the House after four years of Republican control; the GOP lost at least 21 seats.

Scenarios

1

Jim Jordan wins House GOP minority leader race

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Punchbowl News, via The New Republic

Jordan entered the race with a pitch built on investigations and new leadership. He would need to beat Scalise and any other challengers in a conference vote. A win would push the House GOP's opposition strategy toward hearings and probes of the Democratic majority.

2

Steve Scalise wins minority leader post

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: The New Republic and the input report

Scalise, the current No. 2 Republican, offers continuity and a Louisiana colleague's network. A win would keep the leadership ladder intact after Johnson's exit.

3

Johnson leaves Congress before the new term

Unlikely Resolves by Jan 3, 2027

Discussed by: Politico

Johnson did not explicitly say whether he would be sworn in for a new term or resign his seat. If he leaves, Louisiana would hold a special election and Republicans would defend a seat in a national environment that just produced a Democratic House majority.

4

Tom Emmer remains House GOP whip

Deadline passed (Nov 10, 2026)

Discussed by: Axios

Emmer is calling members to lock down support to stay on as whip in the minority, Axios reported. The whip race is separate from the leader contest between Jordan and Scalise.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 2018

Republicans lose the House (2018)

Democrats took the House in the 2018 midterms. Paul Ryan was retiring, leaving Kevin McCarthy and Jim Jordan to fight for minority leader.

Then

McCarthy won the conference vote and became minority leader.

Now

Jordan became a leading conservative voice and later Judiciary chairman; McCarthy eventually became speaker in 2023.

Why this matters now

The same McCarthy-Jordan dynamic now recurs, with Jordan again running after a GOP House loss.

November 2010

Democrats keep Pelosi after losing House (2010)

Republicans won a wave election and took the House. Democrats chose Nancy Pelosi to stay as minority leader over Heath Shuler.

Then

Pelosi remained party leader.

Now

She led Democrats back to the majority in 2018.

Why this matters now

Shows a party can keep a leader after a wave loss; Johnson chose the opposite path.

Sources

(21)
+15
The New Republic AP News POLITICO Axios CBS News GMA News Online Lemmy.World Reuters via Investing.com The Hill ABC News via ChristianityNow Roll Call NPR NBC News CNBC Al Jazeera Axios AP News Axios CBS News AP News Axios