Congress
Emmer and Pfluger make plans to run for House Republican whip
The race for House minority whip is shaping up to be a contest between the current House majority whip, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger of Texas.
Emmer, who already said he had planned to run for the job regardless of the outcome of the midterms, has officially started making calls, according to two people directly familiar with the outreach, granted anonymity to describe private conversations. Pfluger, meanwhile, formally announced his plan to run for whip Wednesday morning in a letter to colleagues.
“We started 2025 with a clear mandate, and although there were successes, I believe we left a lot on the table,” Pfluger said in the letter, obtained by Blue Light News. “Some circumstances may have been out of our control, but we also missed many opportunities.”
Pfluger was among those who had pushed previously for Republicans to crack down on alleged fraud in social safety net programs in party-line budget reconciliation bills. He said Wednesday that while House Republicans have “a lot to be proud of,” the time has come to “regroup, recharge and fully unify.”
It’s all unfolding after the GOP’s devastating loss on Tuesday night, which could have some members looking for a fresh leadership team. Already Speaker Mike Johnson has said he has no intention of running to be minority leader, clearing the path for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio or the current House majority leader, Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
House GOP leadership elections will begin next week, with candidates having until this Friday at noon to make their bids official.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York officially announced his bid to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a letter to colleagues Thursday.
Meeks is not expected to face a challenger despite sharp divisions within the party over issues like military aid for Israel, and his letter did not mention any of those policy disputes.
Long-time leader: Meeks has been the top Democrat on the panel since 2021, and he pointed to his record of opposition to the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities as a reason for fellow Democrats to support his bid.
Meeks highlighted his efforts to roll back President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his backing for repealing longstanding authorizations for the use of military force. He also noted his support for Ukraine, his success in shepherding a State Department reauthorization and the progress panel Democrats have already made holding the administration to account for “lawlessness and corruption.”
“Even in the minority, we have delivered for our Caucus. We have driven the agenda on issues that matter to the American people, including the high cost of living driven by Trump’s war in Iran and reckless tariffs, and held this Administration accountable for its abuse of power and corruption,” Meeks wrote.
Bipartisan work? Meeks promised that if he is chosen as chair, he “will build on this Committee’s good work under Democratic leadership, hold the Trump Administration accountable using all available oversight tools, and continue to deliver real, bipartisan solutions that advance America’s interests.”
Rep. Greg Steube is running for GOP Conference Chair — and out with a harsh message for the current leadership team about Tuesday’s loss.
“Republicans didn’t lose because we were too conservative. We lost because we failed to deliver on the conservative policies we promised,” the Florida Republican said in a post on X Thursday afternoon, accompanied by a picture of a letter to colleagues announcing his candidacy.
“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo,” Steube added. “I’m stepping forward to give Members a conservative choice and take our Conference in a new direction.”
He is joining the race against current GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan and Rep. Erin Houchin of Indiana to serve in the leadership position focused on party messaging.
Steube, who has criticized and broken with House GOP leaders in the past, gave his most scathing remarks after Tuesday’s catastrophic loss for Republicans, telling Senate and House leaders that “the polls were not wrong. You were.”
“Even with record amounts of money at your disposal, you managed to get absolutely annihilated,” Steube posted on X after the election. “You have been embarrassingly weak and more afraid of governing conservatively than of disappointing the voters who put us in office.”
Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, has refuted rumors he will step down during the lame-duck session to prevent incoming Democratic Gov. Rob Sand from having an opportunity to appoint his successor.
“He remains committed to delivering for the people of Iowa, who overwhelmingly elected him to a six-year term in 2022,” Grassley’s chief of staff wrote on X Thursday.
A spokesperson from Grassley’s office declined further comment on the post.
Grassley, who is third in line for the presidency, Senate Judiciary chair and a member of the Senate Agriculture panel, has not yet said if he will run for a ninth term in 2028. If he did, he could be the second senator to turn 100 in the chamber after former South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond.
Republican Iowa lawmakers were decimated in Tuesday’s midterms. Josh Turek bested Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson for retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s Senate seat. Democrats also flipped three of the state’s four congressional districts.
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