House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) defeated Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (R-Texas) in a 103-76 vote on Tuesday to remain the top Republican vote counter as minority whip in the next Congress.
One individual cast a vote for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who announced last week that he would not seek the minority leader position following the midterm results.
The vote came after a candidate forum Tuesday morning, where both men made their pitches to the remaining conference and incoming members in the wake of last week’s massive losses that cost Republicans the House. Lawmakers whose races still haven’t been called were also allowed to vote.
Emmer — who said before the midterms that he wanted to stay on as whip, effectively boxing out other potential rivals and securing support early — pitched himself as a steady vote-counter who knows the conference inside and out. He spent months campaigning for freshmen and building relationships, an investment that paid off when it counted.
Pfluger ran on his combat veteran résumé and coalition-building chops, with supporters making the case that after last week’s losses, leadership needed fresh blood at the table.
Emmer will serve as the No. 2 Republican in the lower chamber under incoming Minority Leader Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who defeated Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) in a 106-73 vote for the conference's top post.
Elsewhere on the leadership slate, Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) will remain House Republican Conference chair, Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) will stay on as conference vice chair, and Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) will serve as conference secretary.
