Senate Republicans reelected John Thune as their leader Tuesday, keeping the South Dakota Republican at the helm as the party prepares to surrender its majority following last week’s midterm losses.
Thune will serve as minority leader when the new Congress convenes in January, tasked with uniting a diminished conference and defending President Donald Trump’s agenda against an incoming Democratic majority.
The decision gives Thune another term leading Senate Republicans after he succeeded longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell in January 2025.
His bid came amid demands from several Republican senators to postpone leadership elections until the conference had examined what went wrong in the midterms.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson pushed for a delay, while Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley questioned whether immediately retaining the same leadership would send the right message after the party’s defeats.
Republicans spent two hours discussing their future Tuesday morning before breaking without a resolution and reconvening in the afternoon.
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Thune entered those discussions without an announced challenger.
His supporters argued that the conference needed leadership in place as Republicans prepared for the transition to minority status and worked to finish the current Congress.
Thune has pledged to work with Trump to resist Democrats’ efforts to reverse Republican policies.
In the minority, keeping his conference together will become central to that effort. Most legislation requires 60 votes to advance in the Senate, giving Republicans leverage even after Democrats take control.
The leadership decision comes as House Republicans install a new team of their own.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio defeated interim House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to become the next House GOP leader, while Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer defeated Texas Rep. August Pfluger to retain the Republican whip’s post.
Speaker Mike Johnson announced last week that he would not seek to lead House Republicans in the next Congress.
Thune now faces the challenge of helping Republicans recover from their losses while navigating the final two years of Trump’s presidency from the minority.
