Thune Accuses Senate Democrats of Sabotaging GOP Midterm Campaigns

Senate Majority Leader says Democrats are deliberately forcing procedural standoffs to keep Republican senators in Washington and away from voters.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune has accused Senate Democrats of deliberately using procedural tactics to keep Republican senators in Washington and away from their home districts ahead of the November midterm elections. Thune says the Democrats' "whole goal" is to "force us to stay around, force us to try and get members to take hard votes and just to tie people down so that they can't be back campaigning."

Why it matters

Thune argues this is a cynical political strategy by Democrats to prevent Republican senators from connecting with voters and making their case for reelection. By forcing procedural votes and government shutdowns, Democrats can keep GOP incumbents tied up in Washington rather than out in their districts.

The details

Thune points to a now four-day partial government shutdown triggered by an impasse over Department of Homeland Security funding as the latest example of Democrats using Senate procedure as a "weapon of attrition." He says this isn't the first time, noting that last year Democrats' blockade of Trump's nominees forced Thune to cancel part of the August recess. Thune argues the strategy is "elegant in its cynicism" - Democrats don't have to beat Republican senators at the ballot box if they can prevent them from ever reaching the ballot box's audience.

  • The current partial government shutdown has lasted for four days.
  • Last year, Democrats' blockade of Trump's nominees forced Thune to cancel part of the August recess.

The players

John Thune

Senate Majority Leader and a Republican senator from South Dakota.

Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader and a Democratic senator from New York.

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What they’re saying

“Their whole goal, and everything is to, you know, force us to stay around, force us to try and get members to take hard votes and just to tie people down so that they can't be back campaigning.”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader (Fox News Digital)

“Right now for [Democrats], it's just all about — everything's all about politics and making it, you know, really hard for our incumbents who are running for reelection.”

— John Thune, Senate Majority Leader (Fox News Digital)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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