Republicans in the U.S. Senate reelected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as leader of the GOP conference after a day of meetings following steep midterm election losses.
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Senate Republicans voted to keep John Thune as leader of the GOP conference after discussing how to respond to steep midterm election losses that cost the party its majority.
Thune, a South Dakota senator, was reelected in a secret ballot election Tuesday and was described in the proceedings as having no opponent on the ballot.
Some Republicans sought to delay the leadership decision and asked the conference to postpone, but the vote proceeded after three separate meetings.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said he pushed to postpone and walked out of the room as voting began.
After the first meeting, West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice said, “we want to be thoughtful and do the right thing,” while arguing that Republicans should consider whether they should keep the same leadership after losing “as badly as we lost.”
Justice also said the current leadership “didn't cause this problem to happen,” and added, “They do a good job.”
The leadership vote came as Republicans begin assessing what the election results mean for their future, with two additional Senate races still uncalled in Alaska and Mississippi that could further affect Republican numbers.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he was not aware of anyone else running for leader, but suggested that waiting could open the possibility of additional candidates.
Hawley said, “I just think that we’ve got a lot of things that we’ve got to think through,” and described the decision as potentially sending the wrong message if Republicans simply “ratify all of the same leadership” after losing at least seven Senate seats.
Before the meeting, Thune said he expected to have a “very fulsome, robust conversation about where we go from here” and determine the conference consensus.
Thune replaced Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as leader in early 2025 and, according to statements discussed during the proceedings, has emphasized consulting colleagues before making major decisions and maintaining close relationships with rank-and-file members.
Several senators also pushed Thune to stay in session in the coming weeks to push through priorities including war spending before Republicans potentially lose power.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott said, “We need a plan to get the Republican agenda done.”
Oklahoma Sen. Jim Lankford said there is “widespread support” for Thune and argued that many of the new Republican senators were already in town for freshman orientation, calling the role “pretty complicated.”
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, speaking as the meeting convened, said most senators were ready to move forward and that it was time to have “leadership in place.”
Thune has spent much of his leadership tenure navigating President Donald Trump, according to the proceedings discussed Tuesday, including keeping Senate rules and the filibuster while opposing voting changes that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.
Trump hosted Thune and his family at the White House in October, and Trump said Monday that the GOP leader is “a very fine man,” adding that the election is “up to the Senate.”
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