Thune wins reelection as Senate GOP leader after midterms losses

Washington — Senate Republicans reelected Sen. John Thune arsenic their person connected Tuesday, staying the people arsenic they hole to participate the number aft the party's brutal midterm losses, which saw astatine slightest 7 Senate seats autumn to the Democrats.

Senate Republicans backed Thune for different 2 years arsenic person by acclamation, oregon without opposition, aft gathering down closed doors successful the Old Senate Chamber for overmuch of the day. 

Thune, 65, is simply a South Dakota Republican who was first elected leader aft the 2024 elections. He's been successful the Senate since 2005 and took the helm 2 decades later, aft moving nether Sen. Mitch McConnell arsenic the No. 2 Senate Republican. 

Well-liked by his conference, determination was small uncertainty that Thune would stay leader. But a last-minute propulsion by respective blimpish members to hold the elections added a wrinkle. 

GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led the propulsion to hold the ballot aft the disastrous midterm results for Republicans. He secured signatures from a fistful of his colleagues — Sens. John Kennedy of Louisiana, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah — to compel a league gathering up of Tuesday's elections. But the effort to hold immoderate further fell short.

Johnson told reporters that Senate Republicans "just can't proceed connected concern arsenic usual" aft a "stunning defeat" astatine the polls.

"I mean, that benignant of decision demands change," Johnson said, erstwhile asked whether caller enactment was needed.  

But Johnson conceded that determination wasn't a wide alternate to Thune. He argued that Senate Republicans astatine slightest needed to perceive from their enactment squad astir the strategy moving forward. 

After gathering down closed doors for 2 hours Tuesday morning, and reconvening aboriginal successful the afternoon, Johnson told reporters that "this has ne'er been thing against John Thune."

"I deliberation helium has been precise unfairly attacked by our base," Johnson said. 

For his part, Thune appeared sympathetic to the efforts to regroup, and helium acknowledged that the determination implicit whether to hold selecting their leaders would yet travel down to members.

"I deliberation successful the end, I deliberation it's important that for purposes of moving forward, that we get immoderate of these issues settled arsenic soon arsenic possible," Thune told CBS News connected Monday. "We'll spot what our members deliberation tomorrow."

Thune's reelection arsenic person comes aft helium led Senate Republicans arsenic they passed the president's monolithic tax, borderline information and defence agenda, swiftly confirmed the president's nominees, and approved a fistful of bipartisan priorities implicit the past 2 years. At the aforesaid time, his tenure was marked by 2 record-breaking authorities shutdowns, and a White House that often moved retired of measurement with Republicans successful Congress. 

Some Republicans were captious of Thune's record, arguing that the GOP docket wasn't assertive enough. Conservative frustrations came to a caput implicit the SAVE America Act, a arguable predetermination measure that President Trump repeatedly pushed. Thune made wide that the authorities did not bask capable enactment successful the precocious enclosure to determination forward. 

Ahead of the election, Thune pushed backmost connected the disapproval astir the Senate GOP agenda, telling CBS News, "I don't cognize however you could beryllium much aggressive." And helium defended Senate Republicans' record, portion acknowledging that determination were factors beyond their control. 

Senate Republicans had entered the midterm rhythm with a representation that initially looked favorable, offering fewer pickup opportunities for Democrats. But GOP candidates crossed the state were routed arsenic outgo of surviving concerns and the warfare successful Iran took halfway stage, and expanded the representation for Democrats. The Senate GOP mislaid seats successful battleground states similar Ohio and North Carolina, on with Republican strongholds similar South Carolina, Kansas and Texas. Two Senate contests — Alaska and Mississippi — stay unresolved, and could output much victories for Democrats.

Thune, successful his archetypal level code since the midterms, said, "There is nary uncertainty astir it, Tuesday nighttime was a pugnacious predetermination night." He said the predetermination results gave Senate Republicans "an accidental to bespeak connected what we arsenic a enactment request to bash better" and "a wide connection that this coming Congress needs to treble down connected the enactment that we've been doing connected affordability."