US: John Thune Elected New Senate Majority Leader In Secret Ballot
John Thune has promised to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump despite their past differences.
Republicans have elected South Dakota senator, John Thune, as the next Senate majority leader replacing Mitch McConnell as leader of the GOP caucus.
During the second round of secret ballots held behind closed doors, Thune beat Senator John Cornyn by gaining the majority support of GOP senators. The final vote between Thune and Cornyn was 29-24.
Thune, 63, now in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump despite their past differences. He is expected to play a crucial role in the incoming president’s efforts to push through his policy agenda. The two spoke on the phone shortly after Thune was elected, the senator posted on X Wednesday afternoon, adding that “Senate Republicans are excited and ready to get to work” with the incoming president.
Republicans have a mandate from the American people to clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda and to deliver on President Trump’s priorities — our work starts today. pic.twitter.com/YKBBsuAL5q
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 13, 2024
Later, Trump congratulated Thune on his social media platform, Truth Social. “He moves quickly, and will do an outstanding job,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to working with him.”
Republicans are replacing McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader, as they prepare to take majority control of the Senate with the 53 seats they won in last week’s elections. McConnell became GOP leader in 2007.
Thune’s election marks a significant change in the upper chamber’s GOP conference, reflecting a shift away from McConnell’s long and powerful reign. However, this role presents a complex challenge for Thune as he will have to manage a frequently divided conference, navigate Trump’s demands of the legislative branch and achieve policy victories for the president as he begins his second term.
“It is a new day in the United States Senate,” Thune said immediately after he was elected, according to AP. He said his majority will work to toughen border security laws, lower energy costs and overturn regulations they see as burdensome.
Trump and Thune
In 2016, Thune called for Trump to drop out of the race in the wake of the “Access Hollywood” scandal — recordings from 2005 showed Trump demeaning women and making sexually aggressive remarks — though Thune later said he still planned to vote for Trump. Thune condemned Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Yet, when Trump faced a vote in the Senate following his impeachment over the incident Thune along with most of the Republican caucus voted “not guilty”, according to a CNN report.
In 2023, Thune had endorsed South Carolina Senator Tim Scott in the Republican presidential primary. But when it became clear that Trump would secure the GOP nomination for a third consecutive time. Thune worked to reconcile with the former president. Thune met with Trump at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in March, and they’ve spoken several times since CNN reported.
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