Thune Faces GOP Leadership Challenge Amid Election Losses
WHO:
ABC News - South Dakota Sen. John Thune is seeking another term as Senate Republican leader; he replaced Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell as leader.
ABC News - Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson circulated a letter asking Republican senators to delay their leadership elections. Utah Sen. Mike Lee signed the letter.
ABC News - Oklahoma Sen. Jim Lankford supports holding the leadership elections as planned. Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick said Republicans should wait to choose a leader; Indiana Sen. Jim Banks called for a frank discussion.
Fox News - Sen. Rick Scott said he would not support Thune without a specific plan for the lame-duck session before Democrats take control.
ABC News - President Trump said Thune was “a very fine man” and said the leadership decision was “up to the Senate.”
ABC News - Senate Democrats are also discussing their leadership; Sen. Chuck Schumer faces potential challengers, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Elissa Slotkin, neither of whom had announced a run.
WHAT:
ABC News - Thune said Republicans would work with Democrats, but “the American people are not looking for socialist government and leftist fantasies.”
ABC News - Democrats could hold as many as 56 Senate seats next year.
ABC News - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand predicted Schumer would win enough support to remain leader, saying he “cares deeply, and he understands politics well.”
ABC News - Senate Republicans are to discuss their future and decide whether to retain Thune as leader after election losses cost the party its majority and at least seven seats.
ABC News - Thune is running unopposed and is expected to be reelected, though some Republicans argue the election is too soon and want time to assess the results.
ABC News - Johnson said, “We need to have some real soul-searching” and “We can't just continue on business as usual — that kind of defeat demands change.” He also said there was no one else on the ballot.
ABC News - Two Senate races, in Alaska and Mississippi, remained uncalled; their outcomes could further reduce Republican numbers. Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan and Cindy Hyde-Smith were candidates whose return to the Senate was uncertain.
ABC News - Thune said Republicans would have a “very fulsome, robust conversation” and that “Ultimately that’s a decision made by Republican senators.”
ABC News - Thune has backed President Trump on most policy matters but refused to change Senate rules or eliminate the filibuster to pass legislation requiring proof of citizenship for all voters.
ABC News - Republicans planned to pursue Trump’s nominees before the new Congress began, while lawmakers worked on government funding and potential bipartisan measures, including an energy-permitting bill that advanced on a bipartisan vote.
Newsweek - Senate Republicans elected Thune as Senate minority leader after hours of internal debate about whether to postpone leadership elections.
WHERE:
ABC News - The Republican leadership discussion was to take place in Washington; Trump hosted Thune and his family at the White House.
ABC News - The two unresolved Senate races were in Alaska and Mississippi.
WHEN:
ABC News - Republicans planned to confirm as many of Trump’s nominees as possible before the new Congress begins Jan. 3.
WHY:
ABC News - Some Democrats have called for generational change after Schumer’s 12 years as leader.
ABC News - Johnson, McCormick, Banks, and Lee called for delay or further discussion so Republicans could examine their election losses and lessons before choosing a leader.
Fox News - Scott withheld support for Thune pending a specific plan for the lame-duck session before Democrats take control.
HOW:
ABC News - Republican leadership elections were planned as closed-door, secret-ballot votes; senators could still seek a vote to delay them.
Newsweek - The leadership vote followed hours of internal debate over postponing the elections.
(UPDATED November 10, 2026 23:00 UTC)
Senate Republicans reelected John Thune as leader, despite calls to delay the vote. Some senators wanted time to examine election losses, while Rick Scott demanded a plan. Thune said Republicans would work with Democrats and pursue President Trump’s nominees.
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(UPDATED November 10, 2026 22:04 UTC)
Senate Republicans reelected John Thune as leader after hours of debate over delaying the vote. Some Republicans wanted time to assess election losses, while Rick Scott demanded a lame-duck plan. President Trump praised Thune but said the leadership choice belonged to senators.