House Republicans Don't Need a 2023 Rematch. They Need an Offense — Settled Fast.

Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan both want to lead a smaller GOP into the minority. Whoever wins Tuesday's secret ballot, the conference can't afford another month of infighting.

By Clara Hughes

Three years ago, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan both reached for the speaker’s gavel, and neither could close the deal. The standoff ended only when Republicans united behind a little-known Louisianan named Mike Johnson. Now Johnson is stepping aside, and the rematch is on. The Speaker told staff on a call Wednesday that he would not run for minority leader after Republicans lost the House, NBC News and MS NOW reported. In a letter, Johnson said his wife and four children had made sacrifices so he could serve. “After three years in this role, I believe the time has come for me to give them more of the attention and presence they so richly deserve,” he wrote. Within hours, Majority Leader Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jordan had both sent letters to colleagues. House Republicans are