By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, are competing to lead House Republicans after the party’s losses in this week’s midterm elections, according to a Fox News broadcast.
The vote, expected next week, will decide how the party positions itself heading into the minority in the next Congress.
Fox News congressional correspondent Jared Halpern said Scalise has served as majority leader for nearly four years and wrote colleagues a letter this week calling for unity. Halpern said Scalise previously fell short in a 2023 bid for speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, and that some Republicans are now calling for a leadership overhaul.
Jordan is the outgoing chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Halpern said. The broadcast did not say who, if anyone, is running for speaker, or address the status of current Speaker Mike Johnson.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, discussing the race, framed the choice between the two men in terms of style. “Do you want somebody who can stand up to that and fight them toe to toe, or do you want somebody who can manage the situation?” Gingrich said.
Gingrich said he expects Democrats, who are taking over the House majority, to pursue “more investigations than we had during Watergate” once the new Congress convenes.
The broadcast did not report a specific date for the leadership vote beyond “next week.”
