South Dakota Sen. John Thune elected Senate majority leader

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) will take the mantle from Sen. Mitch McConnell as the majority leader of the Senate.

Thune was elected to lead the party in the upper house on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

The choice was between Sen. John Cornyn (R - Texas) and Sen. Rick Scott (R - Fla.).

The second-round vote was 29-24, CNN reported. Scott was defeated in the first ballot, pitting Thune against Cornyn in the second, and last, ballot.

Republicans will hold the majority with 53 seats to the Democrat’s 47 in 2025.

Thune is considered a traditional Republican much like McConnell. The AP called the new leader, the current Senate Minority Whip, the No. 2 position in the Senate, a “top deputy” of the former majority leader, who is the longest-serving Senate party leader.

Thune spoke out against President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election but has recently said to be working with Trump on how to pass his second-term agenda.

“If we don’t successfully execute on our mandate, we risk losing the coalition that swept Republicans into office up and down the ballot,” Thune wrote in an option for Fox News this week.

©2024 Cox Media Group