Houchin challenges McClain for House GOP conference chair

Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) is challenging House GOP conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) for the role, which will be central as Republicans work to sharpen their messaging in the minority next year and counter Democrats’ agenda heading into 2028.

Houchin said in a “Dear Colleague” letter to Republicans on Wednesday that the road back to the Republican majority “runs through our message and our ability to communicate it effectively.”

“I am a communications professional,” Houchin said. “Before coming to Congress, I ran my own public relations business. I have run campaigns from the local to the national level. I have a Master’s degree in political management and am a graduate of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale.”

“I’ve spent over twenty years in public relations, communications, and campaigns. Now, I’m running for Chair of the House Republican Conference to put that experience to work for all of you,” she added.

Houchin serves on the House Rules Committee, the House Budget Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

McClain, meanwhile, said in her own “Dear Colleague” letter that Tuesday’s elections were a “devastating setback” for the Republican conference.

“I will not minimize the magnitude of this defeat. While we’ve been knocked down, we are ready to get back in the fight,” she added. “We have an opportunity to chart a new course while building on the relationships, experience, and momentum we’ve experienced together.”

She argued that if she’s reelected, she would “take the fight to the Democrats, expose their radical agenda, and offer Americans an inspirational vision for the future under Republican leadership.”

In a post on the social platform X , McClain touted endorsements from 33 House Republicans, including House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), as well as two GOP candidates who were elected to Congress this cycle.