David Valadao elected chair of Republican Governance Group

Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) was elected chair of the Republican Governance Group, a House GOP caucus that trends to the center ideologically, after current chair, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), opted to step down to foster new leadership in the group.

Valadao ran unopposed and officially won the position in the group’s closed-door elections on Tuesday.

Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) was elected to be a new vice chair of the group, filling the vacancy left by Valadao as he rose to chair. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), the other vice chair of the Republican Governance Group, was reelected to her position. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) also ran to be a vice chair, sources told The Hill, but she did not win one of the two vice chair slots.

Valadao told The Hill that the group will be “very active” in the next Congress in a Washington under trifecta Republican control. Whereas the House GOP political dynamics over the last two years have been largely defined by hardline conservatives trying to push as hard as possible against the Biden administration, the next year will pose different challenges for the more centrist Republicans.

“Because we're tight margins, we all know going into this, we're going to have some tough fights,” Valadao said. 

“So we just want to make sure that we're communicating with one another and having a good dialog when you go to Republican conference,” Valadao said.

Valadao is also one of the two Republicans remaining in the House who voted in favor of impeaching President-elect Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

The Republican Governance Group, formerly known as the Tuesday Group, has several dozen members and is known for being part of what House Republicans jokingly call the “five families” of the most influential caucuses in the House GOP. 

Valadao is one of many members in the group who represents a competitive district, but noted that the caucus’s members includes members who are in “very very conservative districts.”

Joyce in a statement said he was “incredibly proud of the work our caucus has accomplished together.”

“We have navigated tough challenges behind the scenes while staying true to our core values,” Joyce said. “Through hard work and dedication, we have helped keep our majority strong and focused on delivering results that matter most to Americans. It has been an honor to lead a group of members that is committed to do what it takes to move our nation forward.” 

Joyce called Valadao a “result-oriented Republican who knows how to get things done.”

“I know David will hit the ground running as he leads this caucus of majority makers,” Joyce said.