House GOP elects new leadership as Republican senators return Thune to leadership
Ohio’s Rep. Jim Jordan will serve as the Republican leader in the House of Representatives starting in January, while South Dakota’s Sen. John Thune will remain the top Republican in the Senate, a decision several of his colleagues deemed “political malpractice.”
Congressional Republicans voted Nov. 10 on leadership positions for the 120th Congress, despite calls from conservative legislators to delay leadership elections and conduct a thorough examination of the GOP’s massive Nov. 3 midterm election losses.
Republicans in the House of Representatives voted 106 to 73 to elect Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as the House minority leader. Incumbent House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., also ran for the position, after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., announced his resignation from leadership.
Although Jordan, the outgoing chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, ran on a platform of necessary change in leadership, Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was reelected as House whip for the Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., ran unopposed to remain the Republican’s leader in the Senate and was elected to the role in a secret-ballot vote, despite efforts by some Republican senators to delay the vote. All other Republican Senate leaders were reelected to their positions with the exception of National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who was replaced in the role by Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio.
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., Rick Scott, R-FLa., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Budd, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La. signed an open letter urging their fellow Republicans in the Senate to delay the leadership votes until Republicans had an opportunity to discuss the reasons that they lost the midterm elections and what they expect from a new leader for the 120th Congress.
“Holding leadership elections without engaging in a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead would be political malpractice,” the senators wrote in their letter.
Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., also argued that Nov. 10 was too soon to hold leadership elections, although they did not sign the letter published by Johnson.
Senate Republicans delayed leadership elections the morning of Nov. 10 by several hours, debating whether or not to hold off on elections until January. Ultimately, GOP senators voted 31 to 15 against postponing elections.
“I appreciated the opportunity to have an open, honest, and transparent conversation with my colleagues today, and I am honored to have their continued trust and support to lead the Senate Republican Conference in the 120th Congress,” Thune said in a statement following his reelection as Republican Senate leader.
“I’m proud of what this Republican team has accomplished together,” he continued, “and we remain united in our commitment to advancing conservative priorities, working with President Trump and our colleagues in the House, and holding the line against Democrats’ efforts to enact their far-left, liberal agenda.”
Thune has been widely criticized by conservatives for failing to deliver on the political agenda that voters supported in the 2024 election, handing Republicans control over the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts contrasted Thune’s tenure as Senate Majority Leader against Johnson’s stint as House Speaker, accusing Thune of stymying Republican priorities.
Roberts touted “all these great wins Speaker Johnson delivered through the House — with razor-thin majorities, I might add — only to see them denied even a vote in the Senate.”
“And now the same GOP Senate leadership wants to be trusted to lead again?” he added. “It’s an insult to the American people.”
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