Senate Republicans Elect John Thune Minority Leader Despite Historic Electoral Losses | 10 Nov 2026 | Senate Republicans will enter minority status with the same leadership team in place as before. John Thune, John Barrasso, and Tom Cotton were all [insanely] re-elected to their roles leading their party just one week after going from a 53-47 majority to facing a 55-45 or 56-44 minority and [allegedly] losing in red states such as Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas in the midterm elections. Thus Thune will be the minority leader, John Barrasso minority whip, and Tom Cotton the conference chair. Bernie Moreno, the first-term Ohio Republican elected in 2024, is the new face in charge of Republicans’ efforts to recapture the majority as National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman.