DES MOINES (AP) — Two weeks after another election loss, Republicans in the Iowa Senate on Tuesday ousted their party leader.

Republicans voted to replace Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck with Sen. Paul McKinley, a Chariton lawmaker first elected in 2000.

The move came after Republicans lost two more Senate seats in the Nov. 4 election, leaving Democrats firmly in control with a 32-18 margin. McKinley was elected after a private meeting of Senate Republicans and then met with reporters.

“One way to look at that is the direction is up,” said McKinley. “We certainly will be recruiting quality candidates, We are going to rebuild the party from the ground up.”

Republicans in the House, where the GOP lost three seats, ousted their leadership last week. Democrats now hold a 56-44 majority in the House.

McKinley demurred when asked how long it will take the GOP to become competitive in the Legislature.

“I don’t foresee the future,” said McKinley. “We will make great strides over the next two years.”

McKinley, a retired manufacturing executive, said Republicans will serve as watchdogs over state spending during much of the upcoming legislative session. Some projections have said that spending increases already on the books will outpace projected state revenues by as much as $600 million.

Though Republicans lost a couple seats in the Senate, the results could have been worse given the easy Iowa wins by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin. All of Iowa’s congressmen, including its two Republicans, also were re-elected.

“We had many, many more members who were up for election than the Democrats did,” said McKinley. “I think we did quite well given the circumstances nationally that we faced this year.”

McKinley rejected suggestions that Republicans would focus primarily on undermining Democratic proposals.

“One thing I want to emphasize is we are not going to be the party that’s against what the Democrats do,” said McKinley. “We will offer concrete Republican initiatives designed to address the issue of runaway spending.”

He rejected suggestions that Republicans will be obstructionists.

“We will play the role of the opposition, the faithful opposition,” McKinley said. “We will work to make the trains run on time. At the same time we have a very powerful message that we want to convey to Iowans.”

Republicans also elected Sen. Steve Kettering, R-Lake View, as the minority whip. Assistant leaders picked were Sens. Pat Ward, of West Des Moines; Brad Zaun, of Urbandale; Nancy Boettger, of Harlan; and David Johnson, of Ocheyedan.

McKinley said Republicans would meet again next month to begin mapping strategy and identifying issues they will push after lawmakers convene in January.