John Thune reelected as Senate GOP leader despite election losses

Résumé détaillé

Some Republicans had tried to delay the leadership decision, but the conference voted to proceed, said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans reelected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as leader of the GOP conference after a tense day of discussions about steep losses in the midterm elections that cost them their majority.

Thune was always expected to prevail, as he is popular with his GOP colleagues and was running unopposed in the secret ballot election. But Senate Republicans vented their frustrations in three separate meetings on Tuesday after an election wipeout that cost them at least seven Senate seats.

Some Republicans had tried to delay the leadership decision, but the conference voted to proceed, said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who had pushed to postpone. He walked out of the room as the voting began.

West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice said after the first meeting that “we want to be thoughtful and do the right thing.”

Justice said there was a “legitimate argument that, good gracious, if we lost as badly as we lost, why would we continue on with the same leadership?”

At the same time, the current GOP leadership “didn’t cause this problem to happen,” Justice said. “They do a good job.”

The angst — and the indecision — comes as frustrated Republicans are just beginning to reckon with what the election results mean for their future. Two additional Senate races remain uncalled in Alaska and Mississippi that could further deplete their numbers.

Several senators had already called on Republican leadership to delay the elections, which include contests for other party leaders as well and are held in the small Old Senate Chamber.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he isn’t aware of anyone else running for leader, but “maybe there would be” if they waited.

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