Congressman Jim Jordan was elected as the US House minority leader, marking his first foray into Republican leadership.Republican Senate lossesUnder Thune’s tenure, US Republicans lost at least seven Senate seats in the country’s pivotal midterms. Two US Senate races – Alaska and Mississippi – still remain uncalled.Despite those losses, some in the party, like Senator Jim Lankford of Oklahoma, said that there is “widespread support” among Republican senators for Thune, who has taken a markedly different approach than McConnell to seek out differing viewpoints before making major decisions.“It’s a pretty complicated role to be able to manage,” Lankford said of Thune’s role. “No one wants that job”.Some conservative voices have attributed the party’s losses to Thune’s effort to pass the SAVE America Act, which would have required proof of US citizenship for voters and mandated voters to present identification when casting their ballot.But on Tuesday, after winning re-election, he said backlash from voters was bigger than just one piece of legislation.“Well, I think in every election, it’s never any one thing”, Thune told reporters. “I think it was a combination of things and, most importantly, it was the cost of living for the American people”.The Republican leader had previously tried to raise the alarm on affordability, including rising global energy prices, in the lead-up to the midterms.

During a Fox News interview in September, Thune said Trump’s war in Iran, which he once said would not be a “long-term thing”, had “trumped everything else” for US voters.He has also emphasised Israel’s right to self-defence and criticised policies that pressure the Israeli military’s operations.“Both the president and the Democrat leader are entitled to their personal strategic opinions and their personal opinions on Israel’s leadership,” Thune said in response to remarks by former President Joe Biden and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2024. “What they are not entitled to is to attempt to dictate the election process or the strategic planning of a sovereign nation.”Relationship with Trump Over the next two years, Thune will have to contend with a White House that has indicated it wants to double down on its most controversial policies while working to prevent further Republican losses in the 2028 election. He will also have to work with a Democratic-controlled Congress if Republicans hope to advance any legislation.Thune, however, said he is looking forward to the “important work” that lies ahead.“I’m proud of what this Republican team has accomplished together,” he said. “We remain united in our commitment to advancing conservative priorities, working with President Trump and our colleagues in the House, and holding the line against Democrats’ efforts to enact their far-left, liberal agenda”.