House Republicans have chosen Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA) to lead their campaign arm into the 2028 elections, electing him Tuesday as the next chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Jack defeated Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) in a party election, according to the Washington Examiner, and will take the helm of the NRCC for the 120th Congress starting in January 2027.
The vote comes just one week after Republicans lost more than 30 incumbent members in the 2026 midterms, surrendering the House majority to Democrats. Jack, 38, is a relative newcomer to Congress—he won a second House term last week—but brings a deep résumé of political combat. He served as President Donald Trump's political director during Trump's first White House term and later as a top political aide to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). That combination of Trump-world loyalty and leadership experience made him unusually well-connected for a House freshman, as NBC News noted in its coverage of the race.
The NRCC chairmanship is one of the most consequential posts in Congress. The chairman oversees candidate recruitment, fundraising, and national strategy for House Republicans. Jack will be charged with rebuilding a conference that was decimated in 2026—NBC News reported that Republicans lost more than 40 seats, while the Washington Examiner put the incumbent losses at over 30. Either way, the GOP is now in the minority for the first time since 2018, and Jack will need to rebuild from the ground up.
His first task will be unifying a party still reeling from last week's losses. The same day Republicans chose Jack, they also elected Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as minority leader, according to NBC News and CBS News. Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman and a close Trump ally, defeated Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) for the top GOP spot. In his remarks after the vote, Jordan struck a defiant tone: "Over the next two years, House Republicans will fight for American families. When Democrats offer more government, we'll offer more freedom. And we will bring that fight in committee, on the floor and on the stump every single day."
Jack's selection signals a commitment to Trump's America First agenda. As Trump's political director, Jack was instrumental in the 2020 campaign and has remained close to the president's orbit. His victory over Yakym—a more establishment-friendly Indiana Republican—suggests the conference wants a fighter who can harness Trump's base and raise the resources needed to compete in 2028.
But the road back to the majority is steep. Democrats enter the 2028 cycle with a wind at their backs, having just won a "blue tidal wave" in 2026, as NBC News described it. They will also have a larger war chest and the advantage of defending newly won seats. Jack will need to recruit top-tier candidates, particularly in the 40+ districts that flipped, and ensure Republicans don't suffer from a fundraising slump after losing power.
The NRCC chairmanship is a grueling job that requires constant travel, relentless fundraising, and the ability to manage strong-willed members. Jack's background as a political operative—rather than a longtime legislator—may serve him well in that role. He knows the players, the donors, and the playbook. As NBC News noted, Jack was "unusually well-connected for a House freshman." That network will be critical as he tries to rebuild the GOP's House majority.
Republicans will also need to navigate a primary landscape that could be complicated by Trump's continued influence. The former president—now in his second term—has made clear he will play a role in shaping the party's future. Jack, who worked directly for Trump, is well-positioned to keep the MAGA base energized while also appealing to swing voters who abandoned the GOP in 2026.
For now, Jack's election is a first step in what will be a long two-year slog. House Republicans have chosen their generals: Jordan as minority leader, Jack as campaign chief. The mission: retake the majority in 2028. Whether they can pull it off will depend on how quickly they can unify, recruit, and raise. Jack's track record suggests he's up for the fight.
Our Take
Brian Jack is exactly the kind of warrior House Republicans need right now. He's young, he's hungry, and he's got the connections—both to Trump's America First movement and to the donor class that will bankroll the comeback. The establishment wing of the party might have preferred a more conventional pick like Rudy Yakym, but the conference sent a clear message: we want a fighter, not a caretaker.
That's the right call. After a devastating midterm loss, the last thing Republicans need is a go-along-to-get-along chairman. Jack learned from Trump and McCarthy how to play hardball, and he's going to need every bit of that experience to counter the Democrats' fundraising machine and the media's inevitable cheerleading for the new majority.
But let's be honest: the GOP has a steep climb. Losing 40 seats is a shellacking, and the party needs to do some soul-searching about why voters stayed home or flipped. Was it candidate quality? Messaging? The economy? Jack's job is to fix those problems, and fast. He'll need to recruit candidates who can win in swing districts—not just primary voters—and he'll need to make sure the NRCC has the cash to compete.
The good news is that Jack has a powerful ally in President Trump, who will undoubtedly be an asset in 2028. If Trump's agenda delivers—on the border, on the economy, on energy—Republicans will have a strong story to tell. Jack's job is to tell it, district by district, and to hold Democrats accountable for their radical agenda.
The 2028 cycle starts now. Patriots, this is the fight of our lives. With Brian Jack at the helm of the NRCC, House Republicans have a puncher's chance to take back the People's House. Let's get to work.
