Democrats’ tsunami-level gains in the House of Representatives have set up a race for Republican House minority leader.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, informed staff on Wednesday that he won’t seek the top GOP leadership spot in the minority.
Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, entered the race with a letter to his colleagues.
People were interested in these podcasts
“We can expect Democrat legislation to wreak havoc on every sector of our economy and transform time-tested American institutions,” he wrote. “I know the Democrats’ playbook. I know what it will take to lead our Conference in the minority.”
Mr. Jordan, who sought the speaker’s gavel twice, aggressively campaigned alongside Republican candidates this year while winning reelection to Ohio’s 4th Congressional District in a landslide.
He has argued that his experience as chair of the House Judiciary Committee will be useful next Congress, as Democrats have pledged to investigate President Trump and his allies.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who has been part of GOP leadership for over a decade, is a closely watched figure in the race to head the party in the chamber.
Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday morning that Mr. Scalise was in the race.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Minnesota Republican, has said he plans to shift down to minority whip, a move confirmed Wednesday by a House GOP aide.
Mr. Emmer will face a challenge from Texas Republican Rep. August Pfluger, a source confirmed.
Mr. Pfluger chairs the Republican Study Committee, a caucus that includes most House Republicans.
Rep. Greg Steube, Florida Republican, said on social media that current Republican leaders are at fault for the losses and should not seek to hold on to their positions.
“You have been embarrassingly weak and more afraid of governing conservatively than of disappointing the voters who put us in office,” he wrote. “Please do us all a favor and step aside so new leadership can take a truly conservative direction, with the courage to do the things we were elected to do.”
When bruised House Republicans return to the Capitol, they may try to advance an ambitious legislative agenda.
On Wednesday, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, Maryland Republican, called for an aggressive legislative push before Democrats assume control of both chambers in January.
“House Republicans have only 20 legislative days left in this Congress to stop Democrats from weaponizing looming deadlines against the American people,” he said in a statement.
Congressional Republicans could move unilaterally to raise the debt ceiling — a statutory limit on federal borrowing that Democrats could leverage in the next Congress.
“We must finish the unfinished business now — before they take an axe to the conservative victories secured over the last two years, including ending taxpayer-funded welfare for illegal aliens, stopping the Green New Scam, and slashing waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Mr. Harris.
“Clear the decks now, in a fiscally responsible way, so we can lock in these conservative wins without unfinished business giving Democrats new leverage.”
The elections unseated multiple top-ranking Republicans.
Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, lost his reelection bid.
Rep. Richard Hudson, the North Carolina Republican who led the National Republican Campaign Committee, also lost.
The North Carolina race of Rep. Virginia Foxx, who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, was too close to call Wednesday morning.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.