Senate Republicans re-elect John Thune as their leader after the midterm losses, rejecting a bid to postpone the vote
Senate Republicans re-elected Senator John Thune of South Dakota on Tuesday to lead them when they lose their majority next year, after a tense day of closed-door meetings about the midterm losses that cost them at least seven seats. Thune ran unopposed and was elected by acclamation, his spokesman said, after the conference voted 31 to 15 against postponing the leadership contest. The rest of the leadership team, including Whip John Barrasso and Conference Chair Tom Cotton, was also returned.
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Key points
- John Thune will lead Senate Republicans into the minority after being re-elected on Tuesday, unopposed and by acclamation.
- A bid to postpone the leadership vote, led by Ron Johnson, was rejected 31 to 15; Johnson walked out.
- Whip John Barrasso, Conference Chair Tom Cotton and the rest of the leadership team were also returned.
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- Republicans lost at least seven Senate seats in the midterms; the Alaska and Mississippi races remain uncalled.
What happened
The leadership election was the Senate conference's first decision since last week's midterms ended its majority — the opposite choice from House Republicans, who on the same day replaced their leadership's direction by electing Jim Jordan as minority leader. Thune, who succeeded Mitch McConnell as leader in early 2025, faced no challenger, but senators used three private meetings on Tuesday to argue over the losses and the lame-duck session ahead.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- That Thune was re-elected unopposed on Tuesday, that the postponement bid failed 31 to 15, and that his leadership team was returned.
- That Republicans will hold no more than 46 seats in the new Senate, with two races still uncalled.
What we don't know yet
- The final Senate numbers — the Alaska and Mississippi races have not been called.
- What the conference agreed for the lame-duck session, beyond Thune's stated intention to extend it for confirmations and legislation — no agreed programme has been published in the reporting read.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (4)
Why this label: The result and the seat picture are reported in the same terms by USA TODAY, the Associated Press and the New York Post. The vote was held behind closed doors, so the account rests on the outlets' reporting of the meetings.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The acclamation is the account of Thune's spokesman as reported by the New York Post; the 31-15 postponement tally is attributed by USA TODAY to a senior GOP aide and is given identically by the Associated Press. Both are carried with that sourcing stated.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The leadership team's return is reported by the New York Post and the Associated Press in the same terms.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: Thune's and Scott's words are their own statements, reported by USA TODAY. They are carried as the two men's stated positions.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
The minority leader decides how Senate Republicans use the 60-vote threshold that still governs most legislation, and how the party positions itself after a defeat its own members blame partly on leadership. Keeping Thune and his whole team, while the House chose a more combative figure, sets two different Republican strategies for the next two years.
Background
Thune succeeds Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader.
After three private meetings, the conference rejects postponement 31 to 15 and re-elects Thune by acclamation for a two-year term.
The new Congress convenes; Thune leads Republicans in the minority.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
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Published in Checking state — the result is reported consistently across outlets, and the final Senate numbers and the lame-duck programme are still to come.