Sen. McCormick Joins Call to Delay Senate Republican Leadership Elections After Midterm Losses

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) is calling for Tuesday's Senate Republican leadership elections to be delayed, joining Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), after midterm results left Democrats set to control both chambers in January. McCormick said he told Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) that the conference should not hold leadership elections until it has digested and debated the lessons of the defeat. He is not demanding that Thune step down, and no one has officially announced a challenge to Thune, who has led the conference since January 2025. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) was among the first to urge Thune to slow down. A person familiar with the matter said the elections are still scheduled to proceed. House and Senate Republicans are due to pick minority leaders, whips and conference chairs. Democrats will hold at least 54 of 100 Senate seats and at least 254 of 435 House seats. Mike Johnson will not run for House minority leader, one account said.

Townhall, on the right, leads with Thune's difficulties, quoting Axios on McCormick and Johnson. Its own commentary faults Thune over DHS funding, the Save America Act and the filibuster, and ties him to the midterm defeat. The Hill, an alternative source, keeps to McCormick's statement, noting he is a more moderate Republican from a battleground state who is endorsing a call by conservative colleagues. Al Jazeera takes a separate angle, explaining what the leadership jobs involve and who is competing for them. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while the other outlets had.