What to know about Sen. John Thune, the new Republican leader in the Senate

Washington — Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected Sen. John Thune as leader, anointing a new standard bearer to replace Mitch McConnell at the party’s helm in the upper chamber. 

The South Dakota Republican is set to lead the Senate as majority leader in the new Congress, after Republicans flipped the chamber in the 2024 elections. 

Who is John Thune? 

Thune, 63, currently serves as the GOP whip, the No. 2 Republican role. With a long history in leadership, he chaired the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009 to 2011, and served as conference chair from 2012 to 2018.  

The South Dakota Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2004, after representing South Dakota in the House. Before coming to Congress, Thune served in the Small Business Administration under former President Ronald Reagan and as executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party.

Thune is well respected in the conference and seen as a leader capable of taking the reins long held by McConnell.

Thune’s history with Trump

The South Dakota Republican hasn’t always had a strong relationship with the president-elect, and was critical of his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Thune initially endorsed Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina in the Republican presidential primaries. 

But Thune has worked to mend the relationship in recent months, and pledged in the leadup to the leadership race to work with the president-elect to advance his priorities.  

“As Congress returns to Washington, we must prepare the Senate to advance President Trump’s agenda legislatively and ensure that the president-elect can hit the ground running with his appointees confirmed as soon as possible,” Thune said in a post on X on Tuesday.