Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan won another two years as chair of the House Republican Conference, fending off two challengers who sought to capitalize on the GOP midterm losses.
McClain won with 93 votes in a secret ballot tally over Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana, who got 57 votes, and Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, who got 27.
Houchin and Steube leaned into frustrations aired after last week’s Democratic wipeout with the state of GOP messaging, which is traditionally a focus for the conference chair position, as well as a broader desire among House Republicans for a clean leadership slate.
McClain, meanwhile, told colleagues she was ready to “get back in the fight” on their behalf.
While Houchin made the case that the GOP’s premidterm messaging was ineffective and Steube argued for a more purely conservative approach to the job, McClain pitched herself as broadly palatable to a variety of members.
“The Chair’s job is not to build a personal brand. It’s to elevate yours,” she said in the letter. “I’ll make sure you have the resources, messages, and platforms to reach your constituents and bring your voice to a national audience.”
McClain, 60, has served in Congress since 2021 and was elected conference chair two years ago, replacing Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York — who was anticipating a Trump administration appointment that never came.
