John Thune will succeed Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader

Senate Republicans have elected John Thune, the longtime senator from South Dakota, as their new leader in the chamber.

The 63-year-old won a secret vote on Wednesday, defeating Florida Senator Rick Scott – the preferred choice of many of Donald Trump’s most vocal allies – and Texas Senator John Cornyn. Scott was eliminated in the first round.

In a statement, Thune said he was “extremely honored” and “unitedly behind President Trump’s agenda.”

The Republican Party won a 53-47 majority in the Senate last week, ceding control of the upper house as Trump secured his own return to the White House.

Thune will succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the longest-serving party leader in U.S. history, when the 119th Congress begins in January. McConnell, 82, announced earlier this year that he was stepping down after 18 years at the top leadership.

Thune will be in office for at least the next two years.

As Senate Majority Leader, he will be the primary spokesperson for the Republican Conference’s positions on issues, coordinate legislative strategies, and direct business – including all legislative action – in the chamber.

His decision triggered expected overtures from Thune, the current minority leader, and Cornyn, who previously served as a Republican politician.

But Scott also threw his hat into the ring and top Trump supporters, from Elon Musk to Tucker Carlson, publicly supported his wide-ranging offer to persuade senators to support him in the secret vote.

Eight senators publicly announced their support for Scott, while Mr. Carlson and others called on Republicans to pressure their lawmakers to get behind him.

But ultimately Scott won the support of 13 of his colleagues in the first round, with Cornyn receiving 15 votes and Thune receiving 23 votes, four short of the majority needed to win the race.

In the second round, Thune defeated Cornyn by a margin of 29 to 24.

Although Trump himself has not publicly expressed his opinion of the candidates, Thune’s victory and Scott’s early defeat are seen by some as a sign that Senate Republicans are asserting their independence and choosing an experienced leader trusted by his colleagues.

Thune raised more than $31 million (£24 million) this election cycle to elect Senate Republicans. Those funds helped the party lose three Democratic-held seats last week and regain the majority in the Senate.

But he has long had an uneven relationship with President-elect Trump, from criticism of his “inexcusable” actions that led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 to his initial support of fellow senator Tim Scott in the 2024 Republican presidential primary .

However, Thune and Trump have spoken frequently on the phone this year. The new Senate majority leader also visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Over the summer, he told the Associated Press that they had a good professional relationship and if they both won their races, “we have a job to do.”