Emmer fends off challenge to hold onto House GOP leadership post

Sydney Kashiwagi, Star Tribune on Nov 10, 2026

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U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer will hold onto his congressional leadership post after fighting off a challenge from within his party as the GOP reckons with the outcome of the midterm election.

As House minority whip, Emmer will be the second-highest ranking Republican when the next session begins in January, and he vowed after prevailing in Tuesday’s contest to do everything he could to help Republicans win back the majority in the next election cycle.

“House Republicans will hold each and every Democrat accountable for every vote cast, every committee hearing held,” Emmer said in a news conference.

Emmer’s fellow GOP leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, was not so lucky. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, won the position of House GOP leader over Scalise, who had been the majority leader. Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan also held on to her leadership post after facing a challenge.

The contests, decided by secret ballot Tuesday, came as Republicans scramble to reposition themselves after the election and choose leadership for a Capitol where they will no longer be in control.

In the House, Republicans to date have seen a net loss of 42 seats to Democrats, with a handful of races still uncalled.

Rep. August Pfluger of Texas made a bid for the minority whip position after the election, saying House Republican leaders should have done more to stem that tide.

Ahead of the vote, Pfluger had said the job of minority whip “should be much more than a vote counting operation.”

“It should be the nerve center of a unified Republican team: anticipating problems, empowering Members, and helping every Republican succeed,” Pfluger said in a letter to Republican colleagues obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Emmer declined to comment before Tuesday’s vote when asked how he felt about his chances.

But in a letter sent to Republican colleagues before the vote, which was obtained by Punchbowl News, Emmer said, “As your Republican Whip, I will continue to be direct, honest, and transparent. We have never made false promises or tried to buy your votes. My role is to support every Member of this conference and help you succeed.”

Heading into the vote, several House Republicans, including Minnesota’s three GOP in Congress, would not say who they planned to back in the minority whip race.

Following the vote, Rep. Pete Stauber’s office confirmed that the northern Minnesota congressman backed Emmer. The offices of Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad could not immediately be reached for comment.

But Fischbach congratulated Emmer on his win in an X post, saying, “Congressman Emmer has proven he will stand up for conservative values, and I am excited to work with him to deliver results for Minnesota and the country!”

Emmer won a competitive race for whip in 2022 after he led the National Republican Congressional Committee and Republicans won a slim majority in the lower chamber that year.

But his 2023 bid to be the GOP’s House speaker ended in a matter of hours after Trump called Emmer a “RINO” — Republican in name only — and sank his chances.

In 2024, Emmer was re-elected unanimously as whip at a time when Republicans were largely unified during their House leadership elections after the party won control of Congress and the presidency.

Emmer and Trump have since reconciled their differences. The president called him “one of the most powerful men in Washington” and a “brilliant political mind and a great guy and a friend of mine” during a rally in Florida before the midterms.

Emmer easily retained his seat on Nov. 3, winning Minnesota’s strongly Republican Sixth District by 12 percentage points — though it was the smallest margin of victory of his congressional career.

Emmer crisscrossed the country leading up to the midterm election, spending from his $24 million Emmer Majority Builders PAC to help elect House Republicans. That included $33,000 to support Finstad, who may not be returning to D.C. next year — he is trailing his Democratic challenger, Jake Johnson, by 323 votes in their southern Minnesota district, and is requesting a recount.

Emmer also endorsed GOP state Sen. Eric Pratt, who lost the Second District race south of the Twin Cities to Democrat Matt Little.

On election night, Emmer was in Washington, D.C., instead of Minnesota. It was the second election in a row he spent out of state. In 2024, he spent election night at Mar-A-Lago with Trump.

“(Emmer) can afford to be arm’s length,” said David Sturrock, a political science professor at Southwest Minnesota State University and a former official in the Minnesota Republican Party. “When you’re in the leadership, boy, your life is a lot different than if you’re a rank-and-file member.”

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