Jim Jordan elected US House Republican leader after crushing midterm defeat

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.