Seven Republican senators are calling for the Senate GOP leadership elections to be delayed, with one threatening to skip the vote if the postponement does not occur. The elections are scheduled for Tuesday, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is still expected to be reelected to lead the Senate GOP.
Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Budd of North Carolina, and John Kennedy of Louisiana signed a letter demanding the elections be delayed to allow more discussion about the party's performance last week. Senators Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania and Jim Banks of Indiana supported the effort in statements posted on social media. Johnson threatened to skip the vote if the delay does not happen.
The decision on whether to delay falls to conference chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas, though such decisions are usually made with leadership input. The election is expected to proceed as planned Tuesday morning unless a senator motions to delay and the motion passes with a majority, which appears unlikely given the limited number of public supporters, according to a source familiar with the planning discussions. Despite arguments that Thune should not secure his leadership position so quickly, no one has announced a challenge to him.
None of the leadership elections are competitive. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, Conference Chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Policy Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Conference Vice Chair James Lankford of Oklahoma are expected to retain their positions.