WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans have selected Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., as their new majority leader, turning down suggestions from allies of President-elect Donald Trump, who had endorsed a different candidate.

Thune secured victory in a secret ballot, garnering 29 votes against 24 for his opponents Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.

At 63 years old, Thune will take over from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has led the Republicans in the Senate since 2007 and holds the record as the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.

The Senate majority leader wields significant power in Washington, particularly in shaping Trump’s political agenda. Thune will control the Senate calendar, which includes the confirmation of Cabinet members, around 1,200 other key federal roles, and a president’s judicial nominees.

Thune’s election is particularly momentous because the Republicans regained control of the Senate in the recent elections, positioning the GOP to dominate both Congress and the White House for the next two years.

Despite strong backing from key Trump allies such as Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy, Scott failed to advance past the first voting round. Ramaswamy was recently appointed by Trump to head a new “Department of Government Efficiency” aimed at cutting federal expenditures, waste, and regulations.

Although Trump’s Senate allies supported Scott, who has been closely associated with the president-elect and has a more conservative stance than Thune or Cornyn, Trump ultimately chose not to endorse anyone in the leadership race.

Thune was expected to be a strong candidate in this three-way matchup due to his position as the No. 2 leader among Senate Republicans, although Cornyn was also viewed as a viable option.

Having served as the whip since 2019, Thune was active in campaigning for fellow GOP members during this election cycle, a common metric used to evaluate candidates’ fundraising ability and their commitment to party support. His fundraising efforts totaled $33 million, and he participated in over 200 events for Republican candidates, per his office’s report.

Some conservative media figures and Trump associates raised concerns about Thune’s ties to McConnell, arguing that his election would perpetuate McConnell’s leadership style. Notably, Trump and McConnell have had a notoriously tense relationship.

However, Thune contended that his experience would enable him to lead the conference effectively while championing Trump’s priorities in Congress.

“We have an ambitious agenda, and it will require all of us—every Republican—collaborating with President Trump’s leadership to accomplish it,” Thune expressed in an op-ed for Fox News. “Failure to execute our mandate could jeopardize the coalition that secured Republican wins across the ballot.”

Thune has been a member of the Senate since 2005. Prior to that, he represented South Dakota in the House for six years.

Following the January 6, 2021 incident where a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol, Thune was one of many senators from both parties who condemned the rioters and opposed Trump’s attempts to reverse the 2020 election results. Although Trump called for someone to challenge Thune during the 2022 primary, no one stepped up, and Thune won his seat.

Initially, Thune supported Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in the 2024 GOP primary but later backed Trump after Scott withdrew from the presidential race.

Since then, Thune has been working to mend his relationship with Trump, including recent visits to Mar-a-Lago and multiple phone conversations, the last of which occurred just last week. He also held discussions with Trump’s transition team in September, as reported by his office.

Despite this, Thune urged the president-elect over the weekend on CNBC not to overly influence the Senate leadership election.

Leading up to Wednesday’s vote, most senators kept their preferences under wraps,

Thune has received endorsements from prominent figures such as Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee; Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.); and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).

Among these endorsements, Daines’ support could be particularly beneficial for Thune, as Trump holds Daines in high regard. Daines successfully guided the GOP to regain control of the chamber during this election. Although Trump encouraged Daines to run for a leadership role, Daines ultimately chose not to participate.