Lisa McClain wins reelection as House Republican Conference chair

Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News on Nov 10, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain won reelection to her post as chair of the House Republican Conference in internal party elections held Tuesday, Nov. 10, after Democrats' rout of GOP candidates in last week's midterm elections.

McClain, a Bruce Township Republican elected to her fourth term last week, faced U.S. Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida in the GOP internal elections, which were conducted by secret ballot. McClain won on the first ballot, securing 93 votes to 57 for Houchin and 27 for Steube, according to a McClain spokesman.

"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 Nov. 4, statement announcing her bid and endorsements by colleagues that had reached 45 as of Monday.

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

McClain comes from a solidly GOP district that covers parts of northern Macomb County and Michigan's Thumb. For the last two years, she has served as conference chair, which typically organizes conference meetings and takes charge of party messaging.

Some of her colleagues are miffed with the party's messaging and launched bids to oust McClain last week, including Steube who on Nov. 5 said he'd 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 last week'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?"

Houchin, who previously owned and ran a public relations firm, said Tuesday's election showed Republicans that their message wasn't effective, and American voters reacted to that "loud and clear."

"I've rebuilt the party before, and I can help do it again," Houchin said Sunday on Newsmax.

"We have to do better on our message for our constituents and for our members. It needs to be bottom up, not top down. And not chasing whatever catnip ― the media of the left ― want us to chase for the day. But stay on point from the local level to Washington, D.C. on what we are doing that benefits the American people."

McClain previously released the names of at least 45 GOP members who are publicly 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.

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