Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Monday he plans to walk out of a Senate Republican meeting if the party proceeds with leadership elections Tuesday, calling the timing "obnoxious" following Republicans' midterm defeats.

"If you hold the election, I'll leave the room," Johnson told the Washington Examiner in an interview. "I'm not going to participate in elections for leadership tomorrow."

Johnson has secured the five Republican signatures required to call a conference meeting to discuss postponing the elections. The effort is aimed at giving senators an opportunity to examine the party's losses and discuss its direction before holding secret-ballot votes for leadership positions. Delaying the elections, however, would require support from a majority of Senate Republicans.

Johnson has previously ruled out challenging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and reiterated Monday that he does not intend to seek the position. "I don't think so. It's not my intention. I don't want to be leader," he said.

Instead, Johnson said he wants Republican senators to have an opportunity to consider whether changes in leadership are necessary after Democrats gained at least seven Senate seats and took control of the chamber. He emphasized that his disagreement with the timing was not personal toward Thune, saying, "We all like John Thune." However, he added that Republican supporters believe party leaders must be held accountable and are likely looking for "a new face, or new faces."

Thune said Monday he was "open to hearing what the arguments are" for delaying the vote, although he questioned whether postponement would resolve the party's internal disagreements. He said the decision ultimately rests with Republican senators.

Johnson also criticized several factors he believes contributed to the Republican losses, including the Iran war, uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the administration's failure to keep the Make America Healthy Again movement within the GOP coalition. He also pointed to President Donald Trump's decision to make the midterm elections a referendum on his presidency.

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) has separately called for postponing the leadership elections, arguing that Republicans should first examine what went wrong and determine how to move forward. "We need leadership in place fast, but Tuesday is too soon," McCormick wrote Sunday on X. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) has also supported delaying the vote to allow for a broader discussion of the party's direction.

Johnson's effort to delay the elections also has the backing of Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and John Kennedy (R-La.), who signed his letter requesting a conference discussion. None of the senators have formally called for Thune to step down, and no Republican has announced a challenge to his leadership position