House Republicans on Tuesday elected the congressman Jim Jordan as their new leader, turning to an outspoken conservative to steer the party after a crushing midterm defeat that handed Democrats control of the chamber.
Jordan, 62, defeated outgoing House Majority Leader Steve Scalise in a contest that pitted calls for a fresh start against arguments for retaining experienced leadership. The vote was 106-to-73 at a closed-door party meeting, according to multiple media reports citing people who attended the meeting.
Jordan, a 20-year House veteran from Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a prominent figure in the party’s conservative wing, had argued that Republicans needed a new approach after their losses.