Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to seek the Republican minority leader post after Democrats took control of the chamber in Tuesday's midterm elections, a source close to the South Dakota senator told Fox News Digital. His expected bid comes as Republicans confront a sweeping defeat and questions about their performance in power.
Republicans lost at least five Senate seats, with defeats extending to South Carolina and Texas, states traditionally considered Republican strongholds. The results reversed the parties' positions in the chamber and widened the Senate margin. The election followed a decline in President Donald Trump's approval ratings as his administration faced criticism over the war in Iran, immigration enforcement operations and high gasoline prices.
Thune responded to the losses by defending the legislative work of Senate Republicans during the past two years. In a social media post, he described the conference's accomplishments as contributing to safer communities, greater financial resources for Americans and more opportunities for families and businesses. He also emphasized Republican efforts to carry out Trump's legislative priorities and confirm his nominees despite opposition from Democrats.
Among the achievements Thune cited were preventing what he described as the largest tax increase in American history and securing the border to an unprecedented extent. He said the Senate had confirmed Trump's Cabinet more quickly than at any point in two decades and placed conservative judges on the bench at a pace unmatched since the Reagan administration.
His leadership had already drawn criticism from Trump and House Republicans earlier in 2026 over legislation that failed to advance in the Senate. One disputed measure was the SAVE America Act, an election integrity bill that passed the House three times that year. It stalled in the Senate because Republicans could not clear the 60-vote requirement to overcome a filibuster.
Whether another Republican will challenge Thune remains uncertain. A separate source close to the Senate Republican majority told Fox News Digital that his leadership ambitions could provoke significant backlash. That source argued that the conference had failed to fulfill key promises tied to Trump's agenda and suggested those shortcomings could have discouraged Republican voters from participating in the midterms.
The second source also cited the Senate's schedule, saying the chamber met for 217 days in 2025 and 148 days in 2026. The source linked that schedule to what they described as record-low approval of the chamber among Republican voters and weaker turnout on Tuesday. The source suggested that outspoken Trump allies, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, could offer alternatives to Thune.
