John Thune Elected to Replace Mitch McConnell as the Republican Senate Leader, Fending Off MAGA Challenger

Kyler Alvord
·2-min read

McConnell is resigning his leadership role after a record 18 years in the position, just in time for Thune to become the Senate majority leader in January

Sen. John Thune stands beside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at a news conference on Oct. 17, 2023
Sen. John Thune stands beside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at a news conference on Oct. 17, 2023

South Dakota Sen. John Thune was chosen to become the new Republican Senate leader on Wednesday, Nov. 13, replacing Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Thune, 63, has been one of McConnell's right-hand men in Congress. He beat out two other candidates in a closed-door vote to secure the position: Texas Sen. John Cornyn, another McConnell ally, and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a fierce defender of Donald Trump who routinely criticized McConnell's leadership.

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Related: Republicans Take Control of Senate for the First Time in 4 Years

McConnell, 82, served a record-breaking 18 years at the helm of the party's conference. He announced in February that he would step down from his leadership role following the general election to make way for "the next generation of leadership."

“I turned 82 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer," McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor at the time. "I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name."

He continued: "One of life’s most under-appreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter."

Drew Angerer/Getty Images Colleagues check in on Mitch McConnell after he stopped talking during a news conference on July 26, 2023

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Colleagues check in on Mitch McConnell after he stopped talking during a news conference on July 26, 2023

Prior to McConnell's announcement that he would step back, voters and colleagues had expressed concerns about his health in response to two public freezing incidents in which he suddenly stopped talking and moving while delivering remarks into a microphone.

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McConnell previously said that he will carry out the remainder of his Senate term despite handing over the reins of the conference. His seat is up for election in 2026.

Shutterstock Republican Senate Whip John Thune of South Dakota
Shutterstock Republican Senate Whip John Thune of South Dakota

Thune and Cornyn, 72, were long seen as the front-runners in the race to replace McConnell, but a late boost in support for Scott among Trump's most loyal Senate followers made the outcome more challenging to predict.

Related: Sen. John Thune Says Trump's Last Hope to Challenge 2020 Election Will 'Go Down Like a Shot Dog'

Thune joined the Senate in 2005 after previously serving in the House of Representatives for six years. He succeeded Cornyn as the Republican whip in 2019, which made him the No. 2-ranked GOP senator.

The 2024 elections positioned Republicans to take control of Senate with a 53-47 majority on Jan. 3, at which point Thune will become the Senate majority leader.

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