Rep. Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanHouse panel pulls Powell into partisan battles over pandemic Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus MORE (R-Ohio), a leading voice in the Freedom Caucus, said he was encouraged by the number of votes he received in his loss to Rep. Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment Kate Schroder in Ohio among Democratic challengers squelching GOP hopes for the House McCarthy's Democratic challenger to launch first TV ad highlighting Air Force service as single mother MORE (R-Calif.) during Wednesday's House GOP leadership election for minority leader in the next Congress.

Despite having the support of outside conservative groups, Jordan received only 43 votes to McCarthy’s 159 in the race to serve as the top House Republican next year. Jordan, who announced his longshot bid in July, said he knew it was going to be a difficult feat to win the leadership race. McCarthy had been endorsed by retiring Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.).

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“We knew it was an uphill fight all the way, and I was actually encouraged by the fact that we got, you know, 40 some votes,” he told reporters. “You know, the lay of the land is just never easy when you're taking on the team in place."

"Let's work hard and try to win back the majority,” he said.

When asked about what comes next and whether he's interested in being ranking member on either the Judiciary or Oversight committee, Jordan responded, "I'm always interested in, you know, how we can best do the right kind of investigations and defend the truth, as I said before, so I just think we have to wait and see."

Jordan added that he wasn't involved in any conversations between the White House and McCarthy regarding who should serve as Judiciary chairman.



"I think that's a call for the Republican leader, that's not my call," he said.



Jordan said he is looking forward to working with McCarthy, and that there is no bad blood between them. He said the focus now is assessing the midterms loss and how to win back the majority in 2020.





"Why did we lose? What are we up against now? And what's the lay of the land going to look like in the next Congress with the Democrats in charge, and then how do we win it back?" he said. "What do we have to change?"