Thune triumphs in competitive battle for Senate GOP leadership position
The South Dakotan is set to assume his role in January as the new Congress begins, coinciding with Republicans anticipated to hold the government trifecta.
TroibNews 
John Thune is set to lead the Senate Republican conference next term after winning a three-way election to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a closed-door vote held on Wednesday.
The South Dakotan will officially take over in January as the new Congress convenes, with Republicans anticipated to have complete control of the government, holding the House, Senate, and presidency. With a solid 53-seat majority in the Senate, Thune will have opportunities to navigate legislation on a variety of topics, including tax cuts, immigration, and energy policy.
"We have a mandate from the American people,” Thune stated to reporters following the vote. "I’m excited to get to work with this team right away. … I promise to be a leader who serves the entire Republican conference.”
At 63, Thune, who is currently the GOP whip, is relatively young for a leadership position. He has not expressed intentions to impose a term limit on his role, positioning himself to potentially hold the position for several years. His reelection isn't due until 2028, and South Dakota remains a solidly red state.
Mitch McConnell has been the GOP leader for nearly two decades. In his announcement regarding his decision to step down, he expressed a desire to pass the leadership to the next generation, though he did not publicly endorse a successor.
Thune has been regarded as a frontrunner for the position. However, he faced challenges from Sen. John Cornyn, a former GOP whip, and Sen. Rick Scott, who has strong ties to the conservative wing. Scott was eliminated in the first ballot, and Thune ultimately won against Cornyn in the second ballot with a vote count of 29-24, according to sources familiar with the proceedings. The meeting, aimed at electing a new GOP leader along with other leadership positions, lasted for approximately four hours.
Supporters of Thune anticipated a close contest. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an early supporter, remarked, “It went the way we were expecting it to go. We figured it was going to go to a second ballot.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, another early backer of Thune, emphasized the importance of unity among Republicans, stating that “these are two really good people,” referring to Thune and Cornyn, and highlighted the need to avoid hard feelings.
As the election approached, Thune had only a few public endorsements and was trailing Scott in visible support. Nonetheless, Senate insiders had long predicted that the real competition was between Thune and Cornyn. Both senators are known as McConnell allies who have recently maintained close relations with Donald Trump, despite having made critical remarks about him following the events of January 6, 2021.
Thune's recent discussions with Trump have reportedly been frequent, including a conversation shortly after last week's Election Day, according to a source close to the situation.
During the meeting, Thune also reassured conservatives seeking change in leadership. Sen. Josh Hawley mentioned that Thune “promised more transparency, more open amendments, more open debates on the floor.”
Both Cornyn and Thune highlighted the importance of solidarity within the conference moving forward after the elections.
"I think it's really important for our conference to stay together, to be as effective as we can be,” Cornyn remarked.
Scott released a statement saying, “While it isn’t the result we hoped for, I will do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing President Trump's agenda.”
Thune's leadership will commence during a pivotal period for the Senate GOP, as the party plans a highly ambitious legislative agenda involving key issues like tax cuts, the debt ceiling, and government spending. Republican lawmakers are also eyeing a budget reconciliation package, a procedural approach that would enable them to pass significant legislation without Democratic support, necessitating extensive cooperation and possible negotiation from GOP leaders in both chambers.
Sen. John Boozman expressed that, despite the lengthy competition, there is a prevailing motivation within the conference to "really wants to buckle down now" following the vote.
On the Senate floor Wednesday after the Republican vote, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer extended his congratulations to Thune, stating, “I look forward to working with him. We’ve done many bipartisan things here in the Senate together, and I hope that continues.”
Thune has prior experience in the House and, in addition to his current role as whip, has significantly contributed to fundraising efforts for the conference, a fact that has endeared him to his GOP colleagues.
This report also includes contributions from Anthony Adragna, Eleanor Mueller, Katherine Tully McManus, Meredith Lee Hill, and Caitlin Emma.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The South Dakotan will officially take over in January as the new Congress convenes, with Republicans anticipated to have complete control of the government, holding the House, Senate, and presidency. With a solid 53-seat majority in the Senate, Thune will have opportunities to navigate legislation on a variety of topics, including tax cuts, immigration, and energy policy.
"We have a mandate from the American people,” Thune stated to reporters following the vote. "I’m excited to get to work with this team right away. … I promise to be a leader who serves the entire Republican conference.”
At 63, Thune, who is currently the GOP whip, is relatively young for a leadership position. He has not expressed intentions to impose a term limit on his role, positioning himself to potentially hold the position for several years. His reelection isn't due until 2028, and South Dakota remains a solidly red state.
Mitch McConnell has been the GOP leader for nearly two decades. In his announcement regarding his decision to step down, he expressed a desire to pass the leadership to the next generation, though he did not publicly endorse a successor.
Thune has been regarded as a frontrunner for the position. However, he faced challenges from Sen. John Cornyn, a former GOP whip, and Sen. Rick Scott, who has strong ties to the conservative wing. Scott was eliminated in the first ballot, and Thune ultimately won against Cornyn in the second ballot with a vote count of 29-24, according to sources familiar with the proceedings. The meeting, aimed at electing a new GOP leader along with other leadership positions, lasted for approximately four hours.
Supporters of Thune anticipated a close contest. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an early supporter, remarked, “It went the way we were expecting it to go. We figured it was going to go to a second ballot.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, another early backer of Thune, emphasized the importance of unity among Republicans, stating that “these are two really good people,” referring to Thune and Cornyn, and highlighted the need to avoid hard feelings.
As the election approached, Thune had only a few public endorsements and was trailing Scott in visible support. Nonetheless, Senate insiders had long predicted that the real competition was between Thune and Cornyn. Both senators are known as McConnell allies who have recently maintained close relations with Donald Trump, despite having made critical remarks about him following the events of January 6, 2021.
Thune's recent discussions with Trump have reportedly been frequent, including a conversation shortly after last week's Election Day, according to a source close to the situation.
During the meeting, Thune also reassured conservatives seeking change in leadership. Sen. Josh Hawley mentioned that Thune “promised more transparency, more open amendments, more open debates on the floor.”
Both Cornyn and Thune highlighted the importance of solidarity within the conference moving forward after the elections.
"I think it's really important for our conference to stay together, to be as effective as we can be,” Cornyn remarked.
Scott released a statement saying, “While it isn’t the result we hoped for, I will do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing President Trump's agenda.”
Thune's leadership will commence during a pivotal period for the Senate GOP, as the party plans a highly ambitious legislative agenda involving key issues like tax cuts, the debt ceiling, and government spending. Republican lawmakers are also eyeing a budget reconciliation package, a procedural approach that would enable them to pass significant legislation without Democratic support, necessitating extensive cooperation and possible negotiation from GOP leaders in both chambers.
Sen. John Boozman expressed that, despite the lengthy competition, there is a prevailing motivation within the conference to "really wants to buckle down now" following the vote.
On the Senate floor Wednesday after the Republican vote, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer extended his congratulations to Thune, stating, “I look forward to working with him. We’ve done many bipartisan things here in the Senate together, and I hope that continues.”
Thune has prior experience in the House and, in addition to his current role as whip, has significantly contributed to fundraising efforts for the conference, a fact that has endeared him to his GOP colleagues.
This report also includes contributions from Anthony Adragna, Eleanor Mueller, Katherine Tully McManus, Meredith Lee Hill, and Caitlin Emma.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
