A group of Senate Republicans is pressing to delay the party’s scheduled leadership election, arguing that lawmakers should first assess their midterm losses and discuss how to oppose the incoming Democratic majority. The election is set for Tuesday morning as senators return to Washington, according to Fox News’ report published Nov. 9, 2026.
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led the effort, writing to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the Senate Republican conference chair. Johnson proposed postponing the vote until leadership candidates could explain their plans for running the conference and responding to Democrats. He also called for discussion of what Republicans could change ahead of the 2028 elections.
Johnson described the election result as a major defeat and said there were multiple reasons for it. He argued that voting on leadership without a thorough review of candidates’ plans would be a mistake. Those remarks were presented in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
The source report says Senate Republicans’ rules permit consideration of a delay if Johnson obtains five signatures. It names Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Ted Budd of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah as signers alongside Johnson. Lee also wrote on X that Republicans should first absorb the election outcome and plan their next steps, saying a Tuesday vote would be premature.
Some Republicans who did not sign the letter also favored taking time for discussion. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana said the conference should examine where it fell short, clarify its priorities and consider what it would do for working families. Sen. David McCormick of Pennsylvania was also identified in the report as wanting the party to pause before voting.
The report says Democrats won 54 Senate seats, flipping control of the chamber, with results in Mississippi and Alaska still potentially affecting the total. It describes the leadership contest as unfolding against the backdrop of Republicans preparing to serve in the minority.
Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, is expected to seek another term as the party’s leader. The report says he remains popular within the conference and is expected to run without opposition. A Republican aide told Fox News Digital that Thune had already planned a conference meeting before the leadership election and that his willingness to hear lawmakers’ feedback contributes to his support.
Scott has said he does not want to run for the leadership post again, after having run twice, according to remarks quoted from a Fox News program. Asked whether he would support Thune, Scott did not commit, saying the outcome would depend on who else entered the race. The report also notes that some conservative voices outside the Senate have urged Thune to step aside, but does not identify them.
Whether the push to delay the vote will lead to a change in the Senate Republican leadership structure remained unresolved in the source report. The immediate dispute is over whether the conference should hold its planned election or first conduct a broader review of the election losses and its approach to governing as the minority.
