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Congress Watch · Report · File No. 261110-885

Senate Republicans re-elect Thune as leader after losing at least seven seats

Senate Republicans kept John Thune as their leader on Tuesday, and a push by Sen. Ron Johnson to delay the vote fell short. The party heads into the minority under the same leader who guided it through the midterm losses.

By the Capitol Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
John Thune
John Thune. Photo: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio, Public domain

Senate Republicans re-elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their leader on Tuesday. The vote came as the party prepares to enter the minority after midterm losses that cost it at least seven Senate seats 1. Republicans backed Thune for another two years by acclamation, meaning no one opposed him 1.

Thune currently serves as majority leader. He will be minority leader when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3 2.

On tapeThe Hill · Nov 10
Nov. 10: Senate Republicans leave Old Senate Chamber after nearly two-hour meeting, pausing leadership electionsVideo: The Hill on YouTube, “Senate Republicans fight over Thune leadership vote”. It plays from YouTube when you press play.

A late push to delay

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led an effort to postpone the vote. He gathered signatures from Sens. John Kennedy of Louisiana, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah to force a meeting of the Republican conference 1. The attempt to delay fell short, and Republicans voted Tuesday afternoon 12.

Johnson said Republicans cannot continue on business as usual after a stunning defeat at the polls 1. He also conceded there was no clear alternative to Thune. Later he said the effort had never been aimed against Thune 1.

From Channel GOPHakeem Jeffries on corruption after the midtermsHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named
Ron Johnson
I mean, that kind of defeat demands change
Ron Johnson, U.S. senator, Republican-Wisconsin1

The record Thune carries

Thune, 65, has been in the Senate since 2005. He was first elected leader after the 2024 elections 1. Under him, Senate Republicans passed President Trump's tax, border security and defense agenda and swiftly confirmed his nominees 1.

His tenure also included two record-breaking government shutdowns 1. Some conservatives said the GOP agenda was not aggressive enough. Their anger peaked over the SAVE America Act, an election bill Trump pushed repeatedly. Thune said it lacked the support to move forward in the Senate 1.

Republicans lost seats in battleground states such as Ohio and North Carolina. They also lost in GOP strongholds such as South Carolina, Kansas and Texas 1. Races in Alaska and Mississippi are still unresolved and could add to Democratic gains 1.

What Thune says comes next

In his first floor speech since the election, Thune called it a "tough election night." He said the results sent "a clear message that this coming Congress needs to double down on the work that we've been doing on affordability" 1.

After the vote, Thune said Republicans would keep holding the line against Democrats and working with Trump 2. Earlier he said Republicans would work with Democrats, but that "the American people are not looking for socialist government and leftist fantasies" 3.

Trump called Thune a very fine man on Monday and said the choice was up to the Senate. He also urged senators to get more produced 2.

Democrats, who could hold as many as 56 Senate seats next year, are still deciding their own leadership questions 3. In the House, Republicans chose Jim Jordan over Steve Scalise as minority leader. House Democrats are expected to hold their leadership elections next week, with Hakeem Jeffries seeking the speakership 2.

That matters because Republicans' answer to a rebuke on cost of living and the Iran war is to keep their leader and promise more of the same agenda. Johnson's own words show the doubt inside the conference: he said the defeat "demands change," yet no one stood against Thune 1.

The Record

  1. Midterm elections cost Senate Republicans at least seven seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled 1.
  2. Thune said leadership was moving ahead with elections, and left any delay to senators 3.
  3. Senate Republicans re-elected Thune by acclamation after an effort to delay the vote fell short 1.
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Sources

  1. CBS News, “Thune wins reelection as Senate GOP leader after midterms losses” (2026-11-10). cbsnews.com/news/john-thune-reelected-senate-republican-lead
  2. Newsweek, “What Trump Has Said of John Thune as Senate Minority Leader Elected by GOP” (2026-11-10). newsweek.com/what-trump-has-said-of-john-thune-as-senate-min
  3. ABC News, “John Thune seeks another term as Senate Republican leader as the party reckons with election losses” (2026-11-10). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/john-thune-seeks-term-senate-

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