Senate Republicans reelected Sen. John Thune as their leader by acclamation on Tuesday, keeping him in charge as the party prepares to move into the minority after losing at least seven Senate seats to Democrats in the midterm elections.
Thune, 65, a South Dakota Republican who first won the leader’s post after the 2024 elections, was backed without opposition after his colleagues met behind closed doors in the Old Senate Chamber for much of the day. He’s served in the Senate since 2005 and spent years as the No. 2 Republican under Sen. Mitch McConnell before taking the top job. He’s considered well-liked within the conference, and there was little serious doubt he’d keep the role.
Still, the vote didn’t come without friction. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led a last-minute effort to delay the leadership elections, gathering signatures from Sens. John Kennedy of Louisiana, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, and Mike Lee of Utah to force a conference meeting before any vote. That push ultimately fell short. According to John Thune’s reelection as Senate GOP leader, Johnson told reporters that Republicans “just can’t continue on business as usual” after what he called a “stunning defeat” at the polls. “I mean, that kind of defeat demands change,” Johnson said when asked whether new leadership was needed.
Johnson later acknowledged there was no clear alternative to Thune and said his goal was for the leadership team to lay out a strategy going forward. After two rounds of closed-door meetings, he told reporters, “This has never been anything against John Thune. I think he has been very unfairly attacked by our base.”
Thune said Monday that he wanted the conference to settle its leadership questions quickly. I think it’s important that for purposes of moving forward, that we get some of these issues settled as soon as possible,” he told CBS News. “We’ll see what our members think tomorrow.”
Thune’s tenure over the past two years included passing a major tax, border security, and defense package, confirming the president’s nominees, and advancing some bipartisan legislation. But it was also marked by two record-breaking government shutdowns and recurring friction with the White House. Some conservatives argued the Republican agenda wasn’t aggressive enough, with frustrations centering on the SAVE America Act, an election bill backed by President Trump that Thune said lacked the votes to pass the Senate.
The midterm losses hit hard and wide. Republicans dropped seats in battleground states like Ohio and North Carolina, but also in strongholds including South Carolina, Kansas, and Texas. Cost of living concerns and the war in Iran dominated the campaign. Two races in Alaska and Mississippi remain unresolved and could add to the Democratic gains.
In his first floor remarks since election night, Thune said Tuesday was “a tough election night” and called the results “a clear message” that the next Congress must focus on affordability. What comes next is Republicans organizing for the minority while Thune tries to hold a bruised conference together heading into a new session. Share your thoughts on the leadership vote in the comments or on social media.
