After two rounds of voting, Republicans in the United States Senate have a new leader for the first time in almost two decades. Senator John Thune (R-SD) has been elected leader by his peers in a 29-24 vote to fill the shoes of longtime leader Mitch McConnell, according to Politico Senate correspondent Ursula Perano.
Thune wins 29-24, I’m told. Will be the next Senate GOP leader https://t.co/2pJXzuD0dn
— Ursula Perano (@UrsulaPerano) November 13, 2024
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), the favored pick by the most hardline Republicans in Congress and allies of President-elect Donald Trump, was eliminated from contention after the first round of voting. The two highest vote-getters, Thune and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), went head-to-head after Scott’s elimination, and Thune came out on top.
Thune, elected to the Senate in 2004, now faces the daunting task of filling the void left by longtime leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell, despite making plenty of enemies on the right side of the aisle during his time in power, carved out an impressive legacy as leader, including blocking Merrick Garland from ascending to the Supreme Court at the tail end of former President Barack Obama’s second term and flooding the courts with conservative judges during Trump’s first term.
Thune will look to prove his mettle in the role as a surging Trump returns to Washington, D.C. with a decisive mandate to lead the country and a bold agenda that should face fiery pushback from Senate Democrats and the mainstream media. Trump stayed out of the leadership race, declining to endorse a candidate, a move that many believe is the right one considering the independent nature of the upper chamber.
Senator-elect Bernie Moreno (R-OH) took to X to congratulate his colleague and eventual leader.
Congratulations to our new Majority Leader, @SenJohnThune! pic.twitter.com/OdGWH7mjRy
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) November 13, 2024
Cornyn, a relatively liberal Republican, was famously booed off stage at the Texas Republican Party’s 2022 convention.
