A faction of Senate Republicans is pushing back against Majority Leader John Thune’s plan to fast-track leadership elections this week, demanding time to dissect the party’s worse-than-expected midterm performance before deciding its future direction.
The Rebellion Gathers Steam
At least six GOP senators—including Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Mike Lee (R-UT)—have publicly opposed holding leadership votes as early as Tuesday. Their resistance centers on a letter circulated by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) calling for delayed elections until the conference can conduct a “robust discussion” about the midterm results, which Johnson termed a “stunning defeat.”
“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 posted on X. “We need a discussion about what went wrong, how we fix it, what we stand for.”
The Case for Delay
The dissenting senators argue that Senate rules technically allow leadership elections to occur as late as January 10. Lee noted on X that waiting would let Republicans evaluate candidates “based on how they lead the conference over the next few weeks” while the party still holds its narrow majority.
Banks framed the push as necessary for connecting with voters: “Our conference needs to sit down and have a frank conversation about where we fell short… and what we’re going to do for the working families who sent us here.”
Thune’s Tightrope
The revolt presents an early test for Thune, who assumed the majority leader role after Mitch McConnell stepped down. While tradition has seen quick post-election leadership votes, the scale of the midterm disappointment—with Democrats unexpectedly retaining Senate control and flipping the House—has shattered that precedent.
Johnson’s letter, also signed by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Ted Budd (R-NC), warns that holding immediate elections “would be political malpractice” without a plan to course-correct for 2028.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/09/senate-republicans-force-meeting-before-john-thunes-rushed-leadership-elections/