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.
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Thune of South Dakota, Cornyn of Texas and Rick 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 the possibility that Republicans retain control of the House, the GOP may 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.
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.
contributed to this report.
