Yesterday on The Briefing Room with Claire Donovan
Senate Republicans Re-Elect Thune as Leader, Rejecting Ron Johnson's Push to Delay
Conservatives wanted time to absorb the midterm losses before choosing leaders. Most of the conference said no.
Filed November 10, 2026 · 📍 DC 20510
Were you there? Share your story
Key points
- Senate Republicans re-elected John Thune as their leader on Tuesday
- Most of the conference rejected Sen. Ron Johnson's bid to delay the vote
- Thune will lead the GOP into the minority in January
Senate Republicans on Tuesday re-elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their top leader [1].
The vote came after the conference rejected a last-minute bid by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to delay leadership elections, so members could digest the party's sweeping midterm losses and chart a new path [2]. The New York Post described it as brushing aside a revolt from Thune's right flank [3].
Conservatives pushing for a delay argued that rushing the vote after a historic defeat was a mistake. The Daily Caller reported one critic called it "political malpractice" [4].
Thune will now lead Republicans into the minority when Democrats take control of the Senate in January.
The Briefing Room's take: the party chose continuity. Whether that steadies Republicans or delays a reckoning with voters will be the story of the next two years.
Sources
- [1]The Washington TimesSenate Republicans reelect Thune as top leader, rejecting push to delay internal electionOpens in a new tab ↗
- [2]Washington ExaminerSenate Republicans reject push to delay leadership election voteOpens in a new tab ↗
- [3]Opens in a new tab ↗
- [4]The Daily CallerSenate Republicans Rally To Freeze GOP Leadership VoteOpens in a new tab ↗
Senate Republicans re-elected John Thune as leader right after the midterm losses. Good call?
- Yes, steady hands matter now
- No, they should have waited and regrouped
- Doesn't matter, it's the policies that count
More in Politics
Progressive Critics Turn on Jeffries as Hegseth Impeachment Fallout Spreads
Today on Breaking Now with Nathan Brooks
White House Counsel Warns House Democrats Their Coming Probes Could Cross Into Criminality
Today on The Briefing Room with Claire Donovan
Wes Moore's Former Army Supervisor Disputes His Combat Story as 'Repair' Book and 2028 Talk Arrive
Today on Hollister Tonight with Jack Hollister
Were you there?
If you were at the scene, or this story touched your life, tell us what you saw and what it was like.
Discussion 0
Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.