article

FILE – U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 28, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

washington – On Wednesday, Senate Republicans chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as the new Senate majority leader. He will replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who is leaving office after nearly two decades.

The race to succeed McConnell has heated up since Election Day, when Republicans toppled the upper house of Congress after four years in the GOP minority.

Some Republican senators had already publicly endorsed their picks, signaling that he expected Senate Republicans and, by extension, their new leaders to rally behind his Cabinet as Trump entered a second term buoyed by his landslide presidential victory. elections.

There were two rounds of closed voting for the winner; Senator Rick Scott was eliminated in the first round, leaving Thune and Senator John Cornyn of Texas as the two finalists.

Who is Senator John Thune?

John Thune currently serves as the senior U.S. senator from South Dakota and has held the seat since 2005. He is also the current Senate minority whip, the number two position in the Senate Republican leadership, and has held the post since 2021.

A member of the Republican Party, Thune served three terms as a U.S. representative in South Dakota’s at-large congressional district from 1997 to 2003.

John serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee for the 118th Congress; Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the Finance Committee.

On Wednesday, Thune issued a statement criticizing the Biden-Harris administration and saying the GOP has a chance to “turn a new chapter in this expensive and reckless chapter of American history” with its new Senate majority.

He added that he was optimistic: “Our majority will emerge stronger, and we can continue to work together to create a safer, more secure country for every American.”

Other possibilities

Texas Senator John Cornyn

U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas has served in the Senate since 2002.

Cornyn, a San Antonio native, sits on the Senate Finance, Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and served as GOP whip before Thune.

Cornyn also served on the Texas Supreme Court from 1991 to 1997 and was his state’s attorney general from 1999 to 2002 before serving in Congress.

In a statement Wednesday, the Texas conservative said Americans “clearly reject years of disastrous border policies, reckless spending, and failed management by Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democratic majority that have caused the Senate to drift from one avoidable crisis to another.” ”

He said last week that Schumer had “broken the Senate” but was “confident that our new conservative majority can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic.”

Cornyn added: “In my experience serving both as Whip and as a rank-and-file member advancing President Trump’s agenda through the Senate, I have learned what works and what doesn’t… As I said, this election is irrelevant to what is best for the conference and the nation.” “More than just seeing that happen, I look forward to working with President Trump and our new conservative majority to get the Senate working again, making America great again.”

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has endorsed Cornyn.

Florida Senator Rick Scott

Republican Rick Scott, who was elected to a second term last week, has served as the senior U.S. senator from Florida since 2019. He was also the 45th governor of the Sunlight State from 2011 to 2019.

Senators close to Trump, such as Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, have endorsed Scott, as has tech mogul Elon Musk.

“We need to be the change,” Scott said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “Donald Trump was elected to change that.”

Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee also endorsed Scott.

Scott’s communications director, McKinley Lewis, said in a statement shared with Politico: “Senator Scott will bring Florida’s conservative record to Washington as Senate Republican leader and will be a true ally for President Trump to enact his agenda and fundamentally change course.” will be.” country.”

All three candidates asked for support from Trump

All three sought Trump’s support in the race and promised to be more open and transparent from McConnell and give senators more power to bring up their priorities.

They also sought to make clear that they would have a much different relationship with Trump than with McConnell, who once called the former president a “despicable human being” behind closed doors.

In a statement on X and Truth Social, Trump said the next leader “must agree” to allowing him to make an appointment while the legislature is in recess, bypassing the confirmation vote.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate (in the Senate!) must accept Recess Appointments, without which we cannot get people confirmed on time,” Trump said. “IMMEDIATELY!” must be filled

The Senate has not allowed presidents to make so-called recess appointments since the Supreme Court ruled in 2014 limited the president’s authority to do so. Since then, the Senate has held brief “pro-forma” sessions whenever he is out of town for more than 10 days, so that a president cannot take advantage of his absence and begin filling unconfirmed posts.

But with Trump’s approval so important in the race, all three candidates immediately indicated they might be willing to reconsider the practice.

Scott responded to Trump: “I agree 100%. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations finalized as quickly as possible.” And Thune said in a statement that they must act “quickly and decisively” to nominate candidates and that “all options, including recess appointments, are on the table to make this happen.”