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Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell will officially hand over the torch in January 2025 after leading the Senate Republican Conference since 2007. The party elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the Senate Majority Leader in a closed-door vote on Wednesday.
The 119th Congress will convene with the Republicans likely holding the majority in both chambers, although certain races in the House of Representatives have yet to be decided.
Republicans will have a 53-seat majority and will undoubtedly begin working on legislation to cut taxes, improve the country’s immigration system and return to Trump-era energy policies, according to Politico.
Thune, 63, has held the whip position for Senate Republicans since 2019. He was reelected by South Dakotans in 2022 and will likely remain in his new leadership position unless he decides to impose a term limit for his role.
Thune prevailed over Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to capture the powerful position.
Shortly after the vote, Thune posted a statement on X: “I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate into the 119th Congress, and 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.”
Thune captioned the post with, “Honored to serve as the next U.S. Senate majority leader.”
Thune and other Republican Senators spoke to the press after the meeting concluded. When he was asked by a reporter about the process of confirming Trump’s appointees, Thune remarked, “Well, as you know, the Senate has an advise and consent role under the Constitution, so we will do everything we can to process his noms quickly and get them installed in their positions so they can begin to implement his agenda.”
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was also elected as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair, the fundraising arm of the party, during the meeting. He told the press, “President Trump has been very CLEAR on his agenda. Our goal, with our leader John Thune, is to make sure we achieve those objectives.”
Scott also said that his goal was to “expand the map” to ensure that the Senate remains under Republican control during the entirety of Trump’s term.