Senator Dave McCormick and Senator Ron Johnson are urging Republicans to postpone leadership elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, following the party’s losses in the 2026 midterm elections, according to Yahoo.
Johnson obtained the five signatures required under conference rules to force a special meeting of the Senate Republican Conference.
In a letter addressed to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, Johnson argued that it would be political malpractice to move forward with the closed-door elections so soon after a stunning defeat.
Republicans entered the 2026 midterms controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, but emerged having lost their Senate majority, confronting questions about the effectiveness of their congressional leadership.
Democrats flipped seven GOP-held Senate seats while races in Alaska and Mississippi remained too close to call.
Holding leadership elections without engaging in a robust discussion and evaluation of how those running for leadership intend to lead would be political malpractice. It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world’s most deliberative body,
Johnson wrote in the letter.
I saw a report that says Senator John Thune is gliding into the Senate Minority Leader role. Why do Hill Republicans insist on rewarding failure? He’s not exactly in touch with the interests of Republican voters. Perhaps it’s time to give someone else a chance?
Johnson also indicated that he wants the meeting to include a discussion on what type of collaborative governing model the conference should adopt.
He wants a discussion on what strategy Republicans should use to counter the emboldened Democrats.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah supported the push, posting on social media that senators should understand who will be in the conference before casting ballots.
We have no business holding Senate Republican leadership elections until: (1) we’ve had ample opportunity to discuss what happened on Tuesday, and (2) we know who’s going to be in our conference,
Lee wrote.
McCormick joined the effort on Sunday evening, writing on X that Republicans should discuss the midterms before choosing leaders.
McCormick is not calling for John Thune to step down.
He stated that he raised his concerns directly with Thune.
One of the things I learned in business and the Army is that after a failure, you have to start with honesty, transparency, and accountability,
McCormick said.
A week ago, we had the worst election results in decades. We need a discussion about what went wrong, how we fix it, what we stand for, and how our agenda must focus on the concerns of the American people.
Florida Senator Rick Scott also supported Johnson’s push for a preliminary discussion, noting that Republicans needed a plan first.
Scott stated that he did not intend to run for a leadership position himself under the current schedule, having previously run twice.
Conference rules allow for Shelley Moore Capito, the chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, to call a meeting of the group when she gets a request in writing from five colleagues.
No candidate has publicly stepped forward to challenge Thune for the leadership post.
Thune remains popular among his GOP colleagues in the upper chamber, where internal elections remain scheduled to proceed.
Senate conservatives also sought to delay their conference’s leadership contest after the 2024 election, but the effort failed.
Pennsylvania’s @SenMcCormickPA is absolutely right: No need to rush into Senate GOP leadership elections. We first need to digest what happened last week and make plans to move forward. Turning to leadership elections Tuesday morning would put the cart before the horse. https://t.co/hhqdiCTGiA pic.twitter.com/SRxVfbFxxb
President Donald Trump’s adviser, Alex Brusewitz, had earlier questioned whether Thune should continue to lead the caucus, writing on X, Why do Hill Republicans insist on rewarding failure?
Brusewitz also wrote, Perhaps it’s time to give someone else a chance?
When asked whether Thune should remain Republican leader, Trump declined to take a position, stating that the decision belongs to the Republicans.