Senate Republicans reelected John Thune Tuesday to lead their party as it is thrust out of power in the next Congress.
The Senate GOP leadership team was reelected by acclamation inside a closed-door conference meeting that came after Republicans quashed the hopes of some conservatives to delay the leadership election.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Thune gave a “heartfelt speech” to colleagues Tuesday — with even Johnson, who was among those seeking a delay, saying the South Dakotan had been “very unfairly attacked” by the party’s base.
“This has never been anything against John Thune,” he said.
Thune said in a statement after the vote that Republicans “remain united in our commitment to advancing conservative priorities, working with President Trump and our colleagues in the House, and holding the line against Democrats’ efforts to enact their far-left, liberal agenda.”
“I appreciated the opportunity to have an open, honest, and transparent conversation with my colleagues today, and I am honored to have their continued trust and support to lead the Senate Republican Conference in the 120th Congress,” he said.
The depth of the Senate GOP losses, however, had many senators pressing for answers on what might change inside their chamber. At least seven GOP-held seats are now in Democratic hands, with Republicans behind in two uncalled races.
“This was the worst set of losses since Watergate,” said Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who was among the GOP senators who supported delaying the leadership elections. “I mean, it’s an incredible repudiation of the focus of this Congress.”
Members in Hawley’s camp complained this week that Republicans didn’t do enough to deliver over the past two years and that GOP senators needed more time to figure out their next steps. But Republicans overwhelmingly voted to proceed with the elections, 31-15, before choosing to keep Thune in charge.
But Thune, who remains well-liked by his GOP colleagues, was never viewed as being in jeopardy and did not face a challenger for the minority leader post. Some conservatives had hoped President Donald Trump would step in and call for Thune to go if Republicans lost the majority, but Trump instead said repeatedly that he was staying out of the leadership race.
Not even Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who has previously run twice to lead the party in the Senate, made a bid this time around.
Thune has a challenging task ahead of him: He’ll have to manage the final two years of the Trump administration, where the president could try to keep his grip over congressional Republicans, while working to prevent further GOP losses in 2028, when the Senate map is more favorable to Democrats.
Thune also has a hefty to-do list to manage even before the majority flips in January — including avoiding a mid-December government shutdown, potentially having to deal with an impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and moving other must-pass legislation such the annual defense policy package and a farm bill.
“The job is not for the faint of heart, for sure,” Thune said Monday night. “But I feel like I’ve got something to offer and to contribute … as we think about now having to chart a slightly new direction.”
