Thune Will Run for Minority Leader, Vows GOP Won't 'Stand Idly By'

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota will run to remain the top Republican in the Senate, now as minority leader, after Democrats took control of the chamber in Tuesday’s midterm elections, a spokesperson for his office confirmed Wednesday, according to Roll Call and The Washington Post.

Fox News Digital first reported early Wednesday, citing a source close to Thune, that the 65-year-old Republican intended to seek the post despite the party losing at least five Senate seats, including races in traditional strongholds such as South Carolina and Texas.

Over the last two years, Senate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment that’s created safer streets, more money in Americans’ pockets, and new opportunities for families and businesses to get ahead. After fighting Democrat obstruction at every turn, we…

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) November 4, 2026

“Will not stand idly by”

Thune signaled his plans in a post on X just after midnight on election night. “Over the last two years, Senate Republicans have put up a strong record of accomplishment that’s created safer streets, more money in Americans’ pockets, and new opportunities for families and businesses to get ahead,” he wrote, according to Roll Call.

“As we head into 2027, Senate Republicans will not stand idly by as the far-left, socialist wing of the Democrat Party attempts to unwind everything we’ve done,” Thune said in the same post. “Thankfully, we still have President Trump in the White House, and we’ll work with him to stop the worst impulses of Democrat extremism. We cannot let their fringe positions become the mainstream,” he added, as quoted by South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

A very different Senate

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, but Democrats are expected to control between 54 and 56 seats in the new Congress depending on final results, Roll Call reported. Thune will remain majority leader until the 120th Congress is sworn in next January, according to South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming will also seek to keep his post in the minority, an aide confirmed to Roll Call. “Republicans had a tough night last night. We lost great Senators in hard races,” Barrasso said on X, according to Roll Call. “In the Senate, we will aggressively oppose terrible ideas that drive our country toward the socialism Democrats embraced,” he added, saying the party’s top priority should remain “driving down prices.”

Senate Republicans will hold their leadership elections Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m. in the Old Senate Chamber, Roll Call reported. No Republican has announced a challenge to Thune, according to The Washington Post, though the Post noted a challenger could still emerge. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who ran against Thune for leader in 2024, said in September he was not planning to challenge him again, Roll Call reported.

Frustration in the ranks

Not everyone is convinced Thune should keep the job. Another source close to the Senate Republican majority told Fox News Digital that Thune’s ambition could bring serious backlash, arguing the conference did not deliver on key parts of President Trump’s agenda and that this may have hurt GOP turnout. That source pointed to the Senate being in session only 217 days in 2025 and 148 days in 2026, according to Fox News.

Fox News also noted that Thune drew criticism from Trump and House Republicans this year after the SAVE America Act, the voter ID and citizenship bill that passed the House three times in 2026, stalled in the Senate under the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Roll Call described Thune’s relationship with the president as tumultuous at times over that bill.

Thune won a three-way race to succeed Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as Senate Republican leader, according to Roll Call. If he keeps the top job, he would follow a path similar to former South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle, who briefly served as majority leader in the early 2000s before reverting to minority leader, South Dakota Public Broadcasting noted.

Sources

• Roll Call: Thune to run for minority leader
• The Washington Post: Thune will run for minority leader after Republicans lose Senate
• Fox News: Thune plans to run for Republican minority leader
• South Dakota Public Broadcasting
• Sen. John Thune on X

Reporting by Daily Beltway.