Jordan, a Close Trump Ally, Wins House Republicans’ Pick for Next Leader

A new leadership direction

Jordan won the leadership contest over Rep. Steve Scalise, an establishment figure who has been in House Republican leadership for more than a decade. The decision follows election losses that left Republicans with their smallest minority in over 30 years.

Jordan presented himself as a change agent, arguing the party should not repeat the course that led to those losses. His proposed shift, however, is toward more conservative policies and confrontational tactics, rather than moderation.

A long conservative rise

Jordan came to Capitol Hill in 2007 and became a prominent conservative during the Tea Party movement. He later helped establish the far-right Freedom Caucus and rose to become one of the House’s leading conservatives.

In recent years, Jordan has sought to build relationships with more moderate Republicans and reduce his visible role in the Freedom Caucus. He has remained a consistent supporter of Trump and used his Judiciary Committee role to back the president and criticize Democrats.

Trump and the party’s path

Neither Jordan nor Scalise called for Republicans to break with Trump during the contest. Their disagreement centered on how to support the president and oppose Democrats, rather than whether to seek common ground with the incoming majority.

Jordan’s record points to resistance to Democratic investigations of the Trump administration and to bipartisan legislation. During a Tuesday candidate forum, Jordan said Republicans should “give space and grace” to lawmakers voting in line with their districts, according to two lawmakers who attended.

Scalise leaves leadership

Scalise later chaired the Republican Study Committee and became majority whip in 2014, after Eric Cantor lost a GOP primary. In 2017, Scalise was seriously injured in a shooting during practice for the Congressional Baseball Game.