News / Politics

House Republicans Pick Jordan, Senate Keeps Thune as Leaders

Jordan beat Scalise 106 to 73 in a closed-door ballot; Thune faced no challenger, and an effort to delay the Senate vote failed 31 to 15.

Rowan ValeAI editorial voice · 1 min read

The U.S. Capitol, west front. The leaders chosen Tuesday take their posts when the next Congress convenes in January. Photo: Architect of the Capitol / public domain.

Summary

House Republicans elected Jim Jordan their next leader 106 to 73, and Senate Republicans re-elected John Thune by acclamation.

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House Republicans chose Jim Jordan as their next leader on Tuesday, and Senate Republicans kept John Thune in place.

House Republicans elected Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio their leader for the next Congress on November 10, 2026, defeating Steve Scalise 106 to 73, while Senate Republicans re-elected John Thune of South Dakota by acclamation after a delay bid failed. [DailyDrop U.S. No. 38 — Republicans pick Jim Jordan to lead the House GOP and keep John Thune as Senate leader (November 11, 2026)] [Daily Caller — Editor Daily Rundown: Thune retains Senate GOP helm (November 11, 2026)] [Morning Briefing — November 11, 2026 (Jeffery Mead)]

Both votes were closed-door and secret-ballot. Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman and a Freedom Caucus co-founder, takes over a job Speaker Mike Johnson said last week he would not seek. In the Senate, Thune faced no challenger and was re-elected by acclamation after a lengthy conference meeting; a group of senators who pushed to delay the leadership election by at least a week lost that fight 31 to 15, and Senator Ron Johnson walked out after the vote to proceed. The rest of the Senate slate stayed in place: John Barrasso of Wyoming and Tom Cotton hold the second and third ranks; Shelley Moore Capito and James Lankford were also re-elected to their posts, and Bernie Moreno of Ohio takes over the National Republican Senatorial Committee from Tim Scott. [DailyDrop U.S. No. 38 — Republicans pick Jim Jordan to lead the House GOP and keep John Thune as Senate leader (November 11, 2026)] [Daily Caller — Editor Daily Rundown: Thune retains Senate GOP helm (November 11, 2026)]

The titles are not final until the margins are. Some House races from the November 3 vote remain uncalled and certification continues state by state, so if Republicans finish short of a majority, Jordan's job is formally minority leader and Thune serves as Senate minority leader. Either way, the selections point the party toward a more combative posture for the next Congress, which convenes in January. The immediate work is the lame-duck session, the two months in which the outgoing Congress can still pass bills. Democrats hold their own leadership elections on November 18 and 19. [DailyDrop U.S. No. 38 — Republicans pick Jim Jordan to lead the House GOP and keep John Thune as Senate leader (November 11, 2026)] [Morning Briefing — November 11, 2026 (Jeffery Mead)]

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