Jim Jordan is quietly laying the groundwork for a run at GOP leader, sources say

Representative Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is positioning himself to seek the top Republican post if the party loses the House in November, according to CNN's interviews with half a dozen lawmakers and aides. In public, Jordan says he is concentrating on holding the majority and backing Speaker Mike Johnson, who has said he plans to remain GOP leader whether Republicans win or lose.

A source close to Jordan says he privately told a colleague he would have kept members in Washington past September for more votes uncomfortable for Democrats, including repeated ones on President Donald Trump's elections bill. A senior GOP aide told CNN that Jordan is calling candidates. Allies have also told people near Trump that Jordan's record defending the president through two impeachments suits him to resist Democratic investigations. Many Republicans still consider Johnson secure, partly because Trump supports him.

Jordan has not formally launched anything, but he has visited 33 states this cycle and given $1.97 million to candidates and $2.65 million to the House campaign arm through September. Representative Carlos Gimenez, who opposed Jordan's 2023 speaker bid, said Jordan is trying to position himself for something.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →