Inside Jim Jordan’s quiet preparations for a GOP leadership void

The Ohio Republican will be well-situated if Republicans lose the House majority.

“I am totally focused on keeping the majority, which I think we're going to do,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Jim Jordan has spent much of the past year out of the House GOP spotlight. Don’t expect that to last.

The Ohio Republican rose to prominence as a headline-grabbing conservative firebrand, then saw that reputation work against him when he made a failed bid for the speakership in 2023. Since then he has been supporting President Donald Trump as chair of the House Judiciary Committee and otherwise staying out of Speaker Mike Johnson’s way.

But now as frustrations with Johnson’s leadership rise inside the House GOP, and expectations grow that the Republican majority’s days might be numbered, speculation is brewing that the 62-year-old former wrestling star is preparing another push for the top leadership ranks.

© Politico