Senate Republicans elect John Thune to lead after 17-year McConnell run

Washington — Senate Republicans elected Sen. John Thune as leader on Wednesday, after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — the longest serving leader in the Senate history — opted to step down from the post. 

Thune, the current whip, won 29 votes on the second round of voting against the former Whip Sen. John Cornyn, who received 24. Sen. Rick Scott was eliminated after the first round after receiving the least votes. 

Meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday morning, the Republican senators cast secret ballots to elect their new leadership, as the three candidates vied for Senate Republican leader, with President-elect Donald Trump’s shadow looming over the race.

A candidate needed a majority of the conference, or 27 votes, to become leader.

“It’s a new day in the United States Senate and it’s a new day in America,” Thune told reporters following the leadership elections. “The American people have loudly rejected the failed policies of the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda.”

The South Dakota Republican said the “Republican team is united,” adding that “we are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda.” 

“We have a mandate from the American people,” Thune continued. He cited the Democrats’ defeat last week, and he promised to deliver on Trump’s priorities. “We will make sure that the president and his team have the tools and support that they need to enforce border security laws and to remove the violent criminals who are wreaking havoc in every one of our states.”

Thune outlined that Republicans will work to streamline “the bureaucratic machine,” overturn “costly” regulations, and work to restore energy dominance in America to lower costs and bolster national security. 

“I’m excited to get to work with this team right away,” Thune said, while pledging to be a leader for the entire Republican conference, no matter who they supported for the role. 

Thune of South Dakota, Cornyn of Texas and Scott were gunning for the top role, having worked behind the scenes for months to win support from their colleagues. But the leadership race took on new meaning following the 2024 elections, which saw Republicans take control of the Senate for the 119th Congress. With Trump’s return to the White House next year, and with Republicans projected to retain control of the House, the GOP will have a unified government in Washington, teeing up a long list of legislative priorities for the new Senate leader to work on with Trump.

Though Trump didn’t make an endorsement in the leadership race, he loomed large over the contest, weighing in with demands for the new leader to speed the confirmation of his nominees. Thune made clear Wednesday that the the GOP majority will work to process Trump’s nominees quickly.

Even without a Trump endorsement, his MAGA base of supporters made clear who they favored in the race, launching a vocal social media campaign for Scott as leader in recent days and warning that Cornyn and Thune would threaten Trump’s agenda.

Scott was considered the underdog in the race, facing Thune and Cornyn, who both have years of experience in leadership — but who have also been less reliable supporters of Trump. The Florida Republican challenged McConnell for the role in 2022, when he earned just 10 votes.

Scott said in a statement after his loss that he will “do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing President Trump’s agenda.”

“I may have lost the vote, but I am optimistic,” Scott said, adding that he ran for leader “to fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo.”

Senate Republicans also elected the rest of the leadership slate, with Sen. John Barrasso as whip, Sen. Tom Cotton as conference chair, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito as Policy Committee chair and Sen. Tim Scott as chair of the GOP campaign arm, the NRSC.

Capito praised Vice President-elect and Sen. JD Vance, who voted with the Republican conference on Wednesday. Capitol said that Vance was “in there with us every step of the way,” to ensure that Republicans across government are “going to have a united voice.”

contributed to this report.