Washington, D.C. — Senate Republicans elected John Thune of South Dakota to serve as their next majority leader in the second round of private voting Wednesday, rejecting the social-media fueled populist push for Senator Rick Scott (R., Fla.) to succeed Mitch McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history.
Republican Senators held a closed-door vote to choose between Thune, Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Scott one day after the three candidates made their respective pitches at a forum put together by Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah).
Thune was the favorite to win a fight that came down to personal relationships as much or more than ideological positioning, as NR reported last week. He defeated Cornyn 29 to 24 in the second round of voting following Scott’s elimination in the first round. Scott had 13 votes in the first ballot, trailing Cornyn’s 15 and Thune’s 23.
“I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress,” Thune said in a statement. “I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House. This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today.”
Republicans also elected Senator John Barrasso (Wyo.) to be Senate majority whip, the party’s number two position, and made Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton the next GOP conference chair over Iowa Senator Joni Ernst.
Thune and the entire GOP Senate leadership slate held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to discuss the party’s new leadership selections. The newly elected majority leader emphasized the need to enact Trump’s agenda on issues such as illegal immigration and bolstering the American energy sector.
“We will make sure the president and his team have the tools and support that they need to enforce border security laws and remove violent criminals who are wreaking havoc in every one of our states. We will work to make America prosperous again by streamlining the bureaucratic machine and overturning costly Biden-Harris regulations,” Thune said.
Barrasso echoed Thune’s comments about the mandate Republicans have to swiftly execute on campaign promises made up and down the GOP ticket.
“Republicans were focused on the needs of the American people. People who wanted to get prices down, wanted to secure the border, wanted us to unleash American energy. People wanted to make American look and be strong again around the world. That’s what Republicans listened to, that’s what we’re responding to, and we are now working together to make sure we can put America back on track,” Barrasso said at the press conference.
Asked by reporters if the filibuster will remain untouched, Thune responded affirmatively, preemptively challenging any efforts by Democrats — or an impatient President Trump — to eliminate or weaken it.
Asked during a press conference whether the filibuster will remain unchanged under his tenure, newly elected Senate GOP Leader Thune says: “Yes”
— Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg) November 13, 2024
Scott’s loss follows an intense social-media pressure campaign from conservative activists and influencers. President-elect Donald Trump stayed neutral in the race, although he made support for recess appointments a litmus test for the leadership candidates. All three of the candidates quickly expressed openness to Trump’s push for recess appointments, despite the constitutionally dubious nature of Trump’s attempts to minimize the Senate’s traditional confirmation role.
“I am truly humbled by the millions of Americans who supported my run, and the many patriots who made their voices heard to demand change. While it isn’t the result we hoped for, I will do everything possible to make sure John Thune is successful in accomplishing President Trump’s agenda,” Scott said in a statement shared on X.
Lee publicly endorsed Scott Tuesday night and pushed for reforms to open up the amendment process and change how spending bills are passed in order to give the hard-right faction of the party more influence over legislation.
“Congratulations to Senator John Thune, who was just elected as the next Senate majority leader,” Lee said on X. “I look forward to working with him to advance President Trump’s agenda & appreciate his commitment to reforms to protect every senator’s rights and to improving how the Senate operates.”
Scott had public support from several Senators including Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), although it is unclear how they voted in private. Thune’s Republican allies included Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin and Montana Senator Steve Daines, who delivered Republicans the Senate majority this cycle as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“We’ve had an unusual development here right at the end that I’ve never seen in a leadership race before, which is outside groups trying to influence what we do internally,” McConnell said last night at an American Enterprise Institute dinner. McConnell attended the dinner instead of the candidate forum and did not say Wednesday morning who he would vote for.
Many Republican Senators declined to comment publicly on their preferred candidate. Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) was the only one to publicly back Cornyn.
Trump allies turned on McConnell during the incoming president’s first term over his defense of Senate prerogatives and his pointed criticisms of Trump’s erratic behavior, especially after the January 6th Capitol attack. More recently, McConnell has dedicated himself to pushing back against the segement of the GOP caucus that would like to see the U.S. extricate itself from the Russia-Ukraine war. But, over the past year, McConnell has rebuilt relationships in Trump world and spent a considerable amount of time fundraising and campaigning for GOP candidates.
During Trump’s first term, McConnell oversaw three Supreme Court confirmations and many lower-court appointments that fundamentally reshaped the judiciary system. He famously blocked then-President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland to replace deceased conservative justice Antonin Scalia, a gambit that paid off when Trump selected justice Neil Gorsuch to take Scalia’s seat.
With Republicans capturing the Senate majority, Thune will be replacing Senator Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) as leader of the chamber. Thune said he is expecting that Democrats will cooperate on getting Trump’s cabinet nominees confirmed.
“I think there’s lots of bipartisanship opportunities,” Senator John Hickenlooper (D. Colo.) told reporters. He specifically mentioned artificial intelligence regulation and environmental permitting reform.
“We’re supposed to move more slowly. We’re not supposed to go ‘let’s do this let’s do that.’ And I think you’re going to see that. We’re going to be a little more cautious and do more serious and deep consideration.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional information.