Who is John Thune, the next Senate majority leader?

The election of Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as the next leader of his party in the chamber – putting him on track to become Senate majority leader next year – tasks a key ally of Mitch McConnell with shepherding the agenda of President-elect Donald Trump through Congress.

The election of Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as the next leader of his party in the chamber – putting him on track to become Senate majority leader next year – tasks a key ally of Mitch McConnell with shepherding the agenda of President-elect Donald Trump through Congress. In choosing Thune — who is presently serving as minority whip, the No. 2 role in GOP Senate leadership — Republicans are elevating a leader associated with the establishment wing of the party over Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who was championed in recent days by several prominent Trump allies, including Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Tucker Carlson. The election was conducted by secret ballot, which might have allowed Republicans wary of offending Trump’s most ardent supporters some political protection. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, another McConnell ally, also vied for the leadership post. Thune, who won Wednesday’s vote 29-24 in the second round of voting against Cornyn, will officially become majority leader when the new Senate is sworn in on January 3. McConnell, who has led Senate Republicans since 2007, announced in February that he would step down as GOP leader this year. In a Monday op-ed on Fox News’ website, Thune, making his case for the leadership role, urged fellow Republicans to prioritize backing Trump’s agenda, including the president-elect’s plans to crack down on immigration, bring down prices, increase domestic energy production and pass tax legislation. “We cannot afford to take this coalition for granted. If we fail to deliver on President Trump’s priorities, we will lose their support,” Thune wrote. “They have trusted us with their votes. Now we have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.” Immediately, Thune will be swept into a controversy brewing over Trump’s demand that the upper chamber use recess appointments to install his nominees, bypassing the formal advice and consent confirmation process, which historically has allowed the minority party to block a president’s picks. The three Republican senators who vied for majority leader all publicly supported Trump’s demand following his election victory, with Thune posting on X that “all options are on the table” to quickly confirm Trump’s nominees. Both the demand and the quick acquiescence by Thune, Scott and Cornyn signal a Republican-led Senate that will be eager to fast-track Trump’s agenda.