Jim Jordan wins House GOP minority leader vote and vows to push agenda

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was elected House Republican leader in a closed-door vote, defeating Rep. Steve Scalise by a 106–73 margin. The secret-ballot result gives Jordan the top GOP post in the House when the new term begins in January, after Democrats won control of both chambers in the midterm elections. The vote was held by House Republicans themselves, and it marks a significant change in party leadership following heavy losses for the GOP in November.

Jordan, a two-decade House veteran, used an appearance on Fox News' Hannity to lay out his priorities. He said the party intends to use its remaining majority during the lame-duck session to pass the Republican agenda before Democrats take over. The leadership shift also comes as Speaker Mike Johnson steps away from his leadership post, leaving the House GOP to reorganize its top ranks at a moment of transition.

Jordan also made a series of predictions about how Democrats will approach the next Congress. He said he expects a third push to impeach President Donald Trump, along with Democratic probes into members of the Trump Cabinet, his family, and his business interests. Jordan named Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as an early target for Democratic investigators, placing the Pentagon chief near the top of the list of anticipated inquiries.

Looking further ahead, Jordan said Democrats will likely focus on whoever becomes the Republican nominee in 2028, and he named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible targets. He described such efforts as "lawfare" and argued that they amount to political warfare conducted through legal and investigative channels rather than through the ballot box.

Jordan pointed to a recent impeachment vote over Hegseth as evidence of how the GOP can respond to Democratic pressure. He criticized 11 Democrats who did not show up for that vote, and said Republicans prevailed largely because they were present in the chamber. He pledged that Republicans will maintain strong attendance for key votes during the lame-duck period, arguing that turnout decides outcomes on the floor.

The leadership change arrives alongside a parallel effort in the Senate. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate majority leader, is leading an aggressive push to confirm Trump's judicial nominees during the lame-duck session, according to reporting dated November 11, 2026. Together, the House and Senate efforts show Republicans trying to lock in as much of their agenda as possible before the Democratic majority arrives in January, with the remaining weeks of the current Congress serving as their window to act.

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Delaney Sawyer

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Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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