Thune's Bid for Senate GOP Leadership

Senator John Thune of South Dakota is a key candidate in the race to succeed Mitch McConnell as the leader of the Senate Republicans. Following Donald Trump's presidential win, Thune, along with Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Senator Rick Scott of Florida, is vying for this influential position. Thune and Cornyn, both longtime deputies of McConnell, have been working to mend their relationships with Trump, given their past criticisms and differences. Thune had criticized Trump's actions around the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and had previously urged Trump to withdraw from the 2016 presidential race after the 'Access Hollywood' tape surfaced. Despite these past tensions, Thune has met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and has communicated with him multiple times throughout the year.

Thune has raised significant funds for GOP candidates, including $31 million in this election cycle, and has been active in supporting various Senate campaigns. He has suggested that Trump should refrain from publicly intervening in the leadership race, believing it would be best for the process to remain internal to the Senate.

The leadership election is set to take place next week, with Senator Mike Lee hosting a forum featuring the candidates on Tuesday, followed by the election on Wednesday. The outcome will depend on secret ballots, with the candidate achieving a simple majority winning the position.

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