House GOP throws every leadership seat into a fight after midterm rout

House Republicans are throwing every senior leadership post into contention this week, with the top job drawing a head-to-head fight. Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and current Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana are both running for minority leader. One rung down, current Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota faces Rep. August Pfluger of Texas for minority whip, and Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan is being challenged by Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida.

The wipeout on Election Day has some in the conference pushing for a clean sweep of the roster. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, an Indiana Republican backing Jordan, put it bluntly to Semafor: “I think we need to tell the American people, ‘We heard you loud and clear. You’re frustrated, and we need new leadership.’” President Donald Trump, notably, is not weighing in on any of the races.

The party also needs a new campaign chief as it tries to climb out of the hole the midterms left it in. Reps. Rudy Yakym of Indiana and Brian Jack of Georgia are running to chair the National Republican Congressional Committee. Neither is seen as angling to put distance between himself and Trump.

Democrats begin their own leadership elections next week, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries isn’t expected to draw a serious challenge on his way to becoming speaker. The lame-duck session has little legislation on tap, but the House will impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week. Jeffries told ABC’s This Week he was a “hard yes” on impeachment, and while conviction in the Senate is unlikely, the vote is a unity test for House Democrats before they take the chamber.

The impeachment roll call could pull votes from the right too, with Republicans hunting for a scapegoat after their losses. Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said on CBS’ Face the Nation that he would “want to hear the debate on it, to see if it merits impeachment or some other disciplinary action or some other action by the president,” and added he was dissatisfied with how the Iran war has been handled. Attendance problems among House Republicans post-midterms are expected to complicate any other lame-duck legislative action.