Senate Republicans pick their leaders on Tuesday as Thune seeks to lead the minority

Senate Republicans will hold their leadership elections on Tuesday, 10 November, a week after losing their majority in the midterm elections.

Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota intends to run again, this time to lead the Republican minority. In a post on X he acknowledged the losses but defended the record of Senate Republicans and said the party would work closely with the president.

Pressure from the right

Many conservatives argue the party needs a change. Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz urged Republican senators to look beyond Mr Thune, accusing the party of "rewarding failure". Representative Paul Gosar said Mr Thune should not be re-elected as leader because the Senate failed to pass the SAVE America Act, the election-integrity bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote. Representative Nancy Mace also criticised the Senate leadership over the bill.

It is not yet clear whether President Trump will back Mr Thune. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a long-time critic of the president, has declared that the "Trump era is over" — a claim the president's supporters reject, noting he remains the dominant figure in the party.

House leadership

In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not run for minority leader, according to Punchbowl News, opening a contest to lead House Republicans into the new Congress.

Sources: The Hill, The National Desk.