Lisa McClain faces challengers to be House Republican Conference chair

Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News on Nov 5, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain is running to keep her post as chair of the House Republican Conference next term, but she faces some competition after Democrats' rout of GOP candidates in this week's midterm elections.

"We can spend the next two years licking our wounds and waiting for the political winds to shift, or we can get off the mat and go on the offensive. I know which path I’m taking,” McClain said in a Wednesday statement announcing her endorsements by 33 colleagues.

“I’m ready to fight for every member, challenge every Democratic attack, and hold them accountable for every reckless decision."

McClain was elected Tuesday to her fourth term representing a solidly GOP district that covers parts of northern Macomb County and the Thumb. For the last two years, she has served as conference chair, which typically organizes conference meetings and takes charge of party messaging.

But some of her colleagues are unhappy with the party's messaging and have announced plans to challenge McClain for the position, including U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida.

Houchin has formally launched a bid for McClain's post, sending a letter Wednesday to the GOP Conference members, saying the road back to the House majority "runs through our message and our ability to communicate it effectively."

Houchin touted her 20 years in public relations, communications and campaigns, arguing that the conference should be run like a "PR shop": "We will align on the message before we ever leave the room and we will stick with it."

On Thursday, Steube announced he, too, would run for chair of the House Republican Conference.

"Republicans didn’t lose because we were too conservative. We lost because we failed to deliver on the conservative policies we promised," Steube said in a statement.

Steube, an Iraq War Army veteran, publicly criticized the current House GOP leadership after Tuesday's election losses, saying they should step aside after they "continually knelt to the moderates in our conference," rather than listening to more conservative members.

"I just don't think we should be putting the same people who were messaging the last two years ― and we lost 30-something seats," Steube said Nov. 4 on NewsMax. "Why would you put them back in the exact same positions and think that the outcome's going to be different in two years?"

House Republicans will vote on their new leadership on Tuesday. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has signaled he won't run for minority leader after losing control of the House to the Democrats.

McClain has released the names of at least 40 GOP members that she says are supporting her bid, including the three other Michigan Republican lawmakers who will be returning to the House next year: Chair Tim Walberg of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Chair John Moolenaar of the China Committee and Rep. Jack Bergman, a senior member of the House Armed Services panel.

Reps. Bill Huizenga and Tom Barrett lost to Democratic challengers Tuesday. Rep. John James didn't run for reelection to the House because he ran for governor, a race he lost to Democrat Jocelyn Benson.

McClain's supporters include other House Republican heavyweights, including Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma; Utah Rep. Blake Moore, House Republican Conference Vice Chair; and the chairs of the House Oversight, Veterans' Affairs, Homeland Security and Agriculture panels.

McClain raised about $8.5 million this cycle and gave $3.5 million of that to other GOP candidates.

"If reelected, we'll take the fight to the Democrats, expose their radical agenda and offer Americans an inspirational vision for the future under Republican leadership," McClain wrote in a Thursday, Nov. 5, letter to colleagues.

"In doing so, I'll put you in the spotlight. The chair's job is not to build a personal brand. It's to elevate yours."

In the House Democratic leadership race, U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan wrote to colleagues asking them to select her as the next Battleground Leadership Representative, which is meant to bolster efforts to win over competitive seats.

She is supported in her bid by the current rep with the post, Nevada's Susie Lee, as well as the Blue Dog Coalition and members of the New Democrat Coalition's leadership.

McDonald Rivet, who won a second term Tuesday, represents a Trump-won district that covers the Tri-Cities region of Midland, Saginaw and Bay City.