McCormick calls for delay in Senate GOP leadership elections
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Dave McCormick (R-Penn) speaks with President Trump in Pittsburgh (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) is calling for a delay in Tuesday's Senate GOP leadership elections, injecting another note of uncertainty into what had been a largely foregone conclusion before Republicans' devastating midterm defeat.
Why it matters: McCormick isn't demanding that Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) step down. But he is asking his colleagues to pump the brakes on Tuesday's internal elections.
- McCormick joins Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in urging Republicans to postpone the leadership elections.
- No one has officially announced a challenge to Thune, who's led the GOP conference since January 2025. But there is clearly growing unease over the conference's plans to move quickly to leadership elections.
- Tuesday's elections are still scheduled to proceed, according to a person familiar with the matter.
What they're saying: "One of the things I learned in business and the Army is that after a failure, you have to start with honesty, transparency, and accountability," McCormick wrote Sunday evening on X.
- "A week ago, we had the worst election results in decades. We need a discussion about what went wrong, how we fix it, what we stand for, and how our agenda must focus on the concerns of the American people."
McCormick said he had already raised his concerns directly with Thune.
- "I don't believe we should move to leadership elections until we have digested and debated the lessons of the midterms and how to move forward," he wrote.
- "We need leadership in place fast, but Tuesday is too soon. I know it's been the practice to go straight to leadership elections in recent years, but we should not rush it."
Zoom out: President Trump clashed repeatedly with Thune throughout the year over the Senate's failure to advance key parts of his agenda, including the SAVE America Act and Thune's resistance to eliminating the filibuster.
- Trump renewed his criticism after the midterms, blaming the Senate in part for Republicans' election losses.
- "We had a bad election because of a few things. One thing was not getting things approved in the Senate," Trump told reporters.
Between the lines: Asked Friday whether Thune should remain Republican leader, Trump declined to take a position.
- "It's gonna be up to the Republicans. They choose. I don't choose. They choose," Trump told reporters.
- "I mean, I get involved, but they, they choose. It's, it's a very strong custom and it's gonna be happening, I guess, next week."
