WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have chosen a fighter to lead them into their new status as the minority party.
Rep. Jim Jordan, whose 4th District in Ohio now includes parts of Richland and Delaware counties, was selected Tuesday to be the party’s leader when the 120th Congress takes office in January.
The 62-year-old former high school and collegiate wrestler defeated Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., a close ally to outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to become minority leader.
The vote, held behind closed doors and by secret ballot, was 106-73, according to two lawmakers in the room in a story published by NBC News.
In his announcement seeking the GOP leadership position, Jordan warned of the coming Democratic efforts on oversight, with numerous investigations of the Trump administration expected.
“Our job cannot be merely to spotlight how radical this new Democratic Party is — offense, not defense, wins elections,” Jordan said, a nod to his reputation in committee hearings.
“I am battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats’ playbook,” he wrote to his colleagues after a national “blue wave” a week ago handed Democrats control of the next House and Senate.
Jordan, first elected to Congress in 2006, helped launch the conservative House Freedom Caucus in 2015 and served as its first chairman.
His candidacy appealed to those looking for new leadership in the wake of last week’s election losses and to those who like his hard-hitting political style.
“Jordan as minority leader will inherit a historically small House Republican conference that is only beginning to grapple with its loss of power as President Donald Trump serves out his final two years in office,” according to a story published by the Associated Press.
“Leading the party back to the House majority in 2028 is sure to be a stiff climb, given the scope of Democratic victories in the midterms.”
Jordan was re-elected in the 4th District on Nov. 3, earning almost 65 percent of the votes cast. He received 62.5 percent of the votes in Richland County and 49.6 percent of the votes in Delaware County.
As Jordan prepares to lead House Republicans, he will face the challenge of steering a narrower conference while balancing aggressive oversight against legislative dealmaking in a divided capital.
Before the election, Jordan sat down with Richland Source in Mansfield, offering a candid look into his political philosophy, his combative style in congressional hearings and the working-class roots that guide him.
In the interview, Jordan made no apologies for his reputation as one of Capitol Hill’s most relentless cross-examiners, drawing a direct parallel between high-stakes hearings and his athletic background as an NCAA champion wrestler.
“When it comes to the job … I really like when I get the chance to cross-examine a witness in a hearing, particularly when I think that witness hasn’t been square with the people I get the privilege of serving,” Jordan said.
“When you get a chance to cross-examine them, that’s as close to wrestling as you can get — close to competition as you can get,” said Jordan, who has chaired the House Judiciary Committee.
Having spearheaded high-profile investigations into the Biden administration, the Justice Department, and special counsel Jack Smith, Jordan reflected on what he views as a pattern in congressional oversight:
“The only thing we get wrong when we start these investigations… is it’s always worse than we thought. It always turns out the government did — you’re like, ‘They did what?’ We thought they were doing this, but they went past that.”
Despite his partisan clashes, Jordan pushed back against the idea that political polarization prevents mutual respect. He pointed specifically to his working relationship with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), his Democratic counterpart on the Judiciary Committee.
“Jamie Raskin, my counterpart on Judiciary — I mean, he is a lefty, completely. We disagree on a lot, a lot of things. On most things,” Jordan said. “Even though he’s got Trump Derangement Syndrome worse than any human being I’ve ever been around, I feel like you still should [get along], and every once in a while you’ll find some areas where you can work together.”
Jordan highlighted civil liberties, Fourth Amendment privacy, and press protection as key areas of rare bipartisan alignment, citing joint efforts on press shield legislation and the Non-Disclosure Order (NDO) Fairness Act to curb government surveillance of citizens’ phone and digital records.
“It’s supposed to be about having robust debate, not just being mad at someone because they’re a different politics,” he added, decrying the rise in personal vitriol. “You don’t have to agree with me, but I would never yell at you just because I disagree with your politics.”
When asked how citizens should navigate misinformation and disinformation, Jordan warned sharply against government intervention and social media censorship.
“I get nervous when the government’s making that distinction — making that call. That’s when you get censorship,” Jordan said. “I trust the American people to dig through it much more than I trust the government to label it and censor it. Someone can say something crazy, ridiculous, wrong… and the way to combat that is not to stop it, but to have people say something that’s right, and correct, and true.”
Reflecting on his upbringing, Jordan credited his worldview to his parents and the blue-collar work ethic instilled during his youth in Ohio.
“My dad was a union worker at GM in Dayton, and my mom cleaned houses, and they busted their tail,” Jordan said.
“You just learned to work… My brother and I had a lawn mowing business. You’d do the stuff around the house, mow two or three lawns, come back home and practice at night because you were training in summer wrestling to get ready for the high school season. And you just worked all the time. That’s just an American thing, too. Americans work,” Jordan said.
U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson, whose 12th District in Ohio includes Knox County and part of Delaware County, praised the party’s decision.
“Jim is a dedicated public servant and proud Ohioan who is committed to protecting our freedoms and keeping America on the path to prosperity,” Balderson said in an email Tuesday afternoon.
“He knows our nation’s best days are yet to come and is the leader we need to stand firm on common-sense conservative principles that will keep our country strong and secure,” said Balderson, who was re-elected Nov. 3.
“Jim’s motto is ‘do what you say you’re going to do.’ I look forward to doing exactly that and delivering results for Ohio and the American people,” Balderson said.
