Senate Republicans reelected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as leader of the GOP conference after a tense day of discussions about steep losses in the midterm elections that cost them their majority.

Thune was always expected to prevail, as he is popular with his GOP colleagues and was running unopposed in the secret ballot election.

But Senate Republicans vented their frustrations in three separate meetings on Tuesday after an election wipeout that cost them at least seven Senate seats.