(NewsNation) — Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., became the next Senate majority leader after two rounds of voting, taking the reins of the party from the longest Senate leader despite a rocky history with President-Elect Donald Trump.
Thune replaces Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who served as the Republican leader in the Senate since 2007. McConnell announced last year that he would step down from his leadership role, leaving the field open for a replacement.
Thune has served in the Senate since 2005 and served as minority whip since 2021, making him McConnell’s second-in-command in recent years.
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His election to the role defeated an effort from the MAGA-wing of the GOP to elect Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and comes after he was openly critical of Trump in previous years.
Thune is an institutionalist, something cited by supporters who want to maintain the separation of powers in government during Trump’s second term.
John Thune’s political career
Thune has worked in politics since he received his MBA in 1984, starting his career as a legislative aide. He was elected as South Dakota’s representative in the House in 1997 and served in the role until 2003.
He was defeated in his first run for Senator but won on a second attempt and took office in 2005.
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He has served on multiple Senate Committees, including the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the Committee on Finance; the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the Committee on Budget.
John Thune’s relationship with Donald Trump
Thune’s policy positions have often aligned with Trump’s despite his criticisms of the president-elect.
He was the first member of Congressional GOP leadership to publicly call on Trump to withdraw from the presidential race in 2016 after an infamous Access Hollywood tape where Trump spoke about groping women.
Thune also called Trump’s actions regarding the Jan. 6 riots “inexcusable.”
However, his votes often aligned with Trump’s policies and in recent years, Thune worked to repair his relationship with Trump, including a visit to Mar-a-Lago and multiple one-on-one conversations.
John Thune’s political views
Thune’s policies generally align with Republican views. He has opposed climate change actions including President Joe Biden’s Green New Deal. He has pushed for the repeal of estate taxes, supported the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and worked against gun control legislation.
On foreign policy, Thune has taken a more hawkish stance. He was a supporter of the Iraq war and has been a strong supporter of Israel. Thune was one of the co-sponsors of a piece of legislation that would have made it a federal crime for American citizens to encourage or participate in boycotts of Israel.
Thune has also been a strong supporter of aid to Ukraine, a position that breaks from Trump’s previous statements.
John Thune’s leadership challenges
As he steps into Senate leadership, Thune will face a number of pressing challenges.
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First on the agenda will be Trump’s demand that the Senate use recess appointments to secure his cabinet nominees, bypassing the usual Senate confirmation process that sometimes allows the minority party to block nominees they find unqualified. On X, Thune suggested he was open to the possibility.
Thune will also be faced with the question of the Senate filibuster. Trump has pressed for the Senate to remove the 60-vote threshold needed to end a filibuster, while Thune has expressed support for the current rules.
He will also be tasked with corralling a party with a slim majority of 53 seats that includes MAGA Republicans in favor of hard-line policies and moderates who have publicly spoken out against the incoming president and have often crossed the aisle, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine.
John Thune’s personal life
In his personal life, Thune is married with two adult children.
He is also an evangelical Christian, a voting bloc that has strongly supported Trump.
Conservative evangelical Christians have been named for a number of key roles in Trump’s administration, including those who support the controversial Project 2025 agenda.
