John Thune new Senate Majority leader

Post Reply New Topic

Senate Republicans selected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota to be their leader in the next Congress, three sources with knowledge of the vote said, replacing longtime leader Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down after a record 18 years.

Thune, the Senate Republican whip, ran against two other senators: John Cornyn of Texas, a former whip, and Rick Scott of Florida, an underdog candidate who just won a second term.

Thune, first elected to the Senate in 2004, has climbed his way up the leadership ladder, previously serving as chair of the Republican conference and chairing the Commerce Committee before ascending to the position of whip in 2019.

Thune ran for leader on a platform of carrying out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, although the two men have not always seen eye to eye: Thune rejected Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

“I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House,” Thune said in a statement. “This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today.”

The senators met behind closed doors Wednesday to vote by secret ballot, capping a battle that divided the party and pitted Scott, a candidate backed by vocal MAGA allies of Trump, against two long-serving senators with institutional knowledge and deep relationships in the body.

The first round of balloting ended in votes of 23 for Thune, 15 for Cornyn and 13 for Scott, resulting in Scott getting eliminated, two sources with direct knowledge of the vote said. The race came down to Thune and Cornyn on the second ballot, and Thune won by a vote of 29 to 24, three sources told NBC News.

Thune and Cornyn, both elected during George W. Bush’s presidency, hail from an institutionalist wing of the GOP. Both have long-standing relationships within the conference and can claim to be next in line, with each having served as the No. 2 Republican for six years.

Before the vote, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he was supporting Thune but admitted there’s “very little” difference between him and Cornyn. “Although Cornyn told me yesterday ... people are saying they’re a mirror image of each other. To which I say, I think John Thune would take offense to that,” Cramer said.

Colleagues viewed Scott, elected in 2018, as a more divisive figure, and he has been a vocal critic of McConnell for years. He aligned himself solidly with the party’s MAGA wing and had secured some endorsements for the job from Trump allies, including right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, billionaire benefactor Elon Musk and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

But Trump, notably, didn't weigh in. His ability to anoint his chosen leader was complicated by the secret ballot, which means he won't know which senators voted against his preferred candidate — or be able to politically punish them.

All three candidates ran on promises to carry out Trump’s agenda, a clear point of agreement among them.

Thune and Cornyn also touted their fundraising prowess and donations to help colleagues win elections.

As part of the leadership shakeup, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming was elected by acclamation to the No. 2 position of majority whip after he ran unopposed. And the No. 3 slot features a battle between Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Joni Ernst of Iowa.