Big GOP leadership change: John Thune named next Senate Republican leader
- Thune, a senator from South Dakota, emerged victorious in a three-way race. Republicans take control of the White House and potentially both chambers of Congress in 2025.
US Senate Republicans have chosen John Thune to lead the chamber in the upcoming year. Thune, a senator from South Dakota, emerged victorious in a three-way race. Republicans take control of the White House and potentially both chambers of Congress in 2025.
With at least 52 seats secured in the 100-seat Senate and several House races still undecided, Republicans are poised to maintain their majority in the House as well.
Thune, 63, is regarded as a steady, seasoned legislator with strong ties to many of his Republican colleagues. Currently serving as the Senate's No. 2 Republican, he will succeed the 82-year-old Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, after first being elected to the Senate in 2004.
Senator John Thune wrote on X: "I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House. This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work starts today."
Thune triumphed over Texas Senator John Cornyn, another experienced institutionalist, and Florida Senator Rick Scott, a staunch Donald Trump ally supported by high-profile figures like billionaire Elon Musk, and conservative commentator Sean Hannity.
"Without Rick Scott, the entire Trump reform agenda wobbly," Trump adviser Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a post on X before the vote.
However, Senate Republicans resisted this pressure, emphasising that the role of majority leader requires someone who has earned trust and support within the caucus.
"I don't think it's worth the president using the political capital that he has to weigh in on the race," said Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Thune supporter.
On Sunday, tech moghul Musk, a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, posted on social media, "Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!"
Although Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate, he has called for the next Republican leader to give him the flexibility to bypass the typical hearings and votes for approving Cabinet nominees.
Some of Trump’s staunch supporters raised concerns that Thune and Cornyn, who have closely worked with McConnell, might not fully commit to advancing Trump’s campaign promises. Both have been in the Senate for two decades, playing key roles in passing major legislation and helping elect fellow Republicans. In contrast, Scott, elected in 2018, is a hardline conservative and former Florida governor, who served two terms in office.
(with Reuters inputs)
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First Published:13 Nov 2024, 10:58 PM IST
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