Washington
CNN
—

The selection of Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as his party’s next leader in the House — putting him on track to become Senate majority leader next year — is tasking a key ally of Mitch McConnell with agenda of newly-elected President Donald Trump through Congress.

By choosing Thune – who currently functions as a minority whip, the No. 2 role in Republican Senate leadership — Republicans are elevating a leader associated with the party’s establishment wing over Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who has been championed in recent days by several prominent Trump allies, including Elon Musk , Vivek Ramaswamy and Tucker Carlson. The election took place by secret ballot, which could have given Republicans, who were wary not to offend Trump’s most ardent supporters, some political protection. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, another McConnell ally, was also vying for the leadership post.

Thune, who won 29-24 in the second round of voting against Cornyn on Wednesday, will officially become majority leader when the new Senate is sworn in on January 3. McConnell, who has led Senate Republicans since 2007, announced in February that he would do so. is stepping down as GOP leader this year.

In an op-ed Monday on the Fox News website, Thune, making his case for the leadership role, urged his fellow Republicans to prioritize supporting Trump’s agenda, including the plans of the elected president to crack down on immigration, lower prices and increase domestic energy. production and passing tax legislation.

“We cannot afford to take this coalition for granted. If we fail to deliver on President Trump’s priorities, we will lose their support,” Thune wrote. “They have entrusted us with their vote. Now we have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

Immediately, Thune will be embroiled in a controversy brewing over Trump’s insistence that the Senate use recess appointments to install his nominees, bypassing the formal advice-and-consent confirmation process that has historically allowed the minority party to block a president’s pick. The three Republican senators vying for majority leader all publicly supported Trump’s demand following his election victory, with Thune posting on X that “all options are on the table” to quickly confirm Trump’s nominees. Both the demand and the quick agreement from Thune, Scott and Cornyn signal a Republican-led Senate eager to advance Trump’s agenda.

Thune, 63, has had a complicated relationship with the newly elected president. He called on Trump to drop out of the 2016 race in the wake of the infamous “Access Hollywood” scandal — although Thune later said he still planned to vote for Trump. And he condemned Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot as indefensible. But when Trump faced a vote in the Senate following his impeachment over the incident, Thune sided with McConnell and most of the Republican caucus in voting “not guilty.”

Trump did not forget the slight, calling on South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to mount a primary challenge against Thune in 2022, although she objected. Thune overwhelmingly won the primary that year and cruised to victory in the general election.

In May 2023, Thune endorsed Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina in the Republican presidential primary. But when it became clear that Trump would win the Republican nomination for the third time in a row, Thune tried to repair relations with the former president.

Thune met with Trump at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in March, and they have spoken several times since, CNN previously reported. Thune also met with Trump transition team chairmen Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon in Washington earlier this month, a person familiar with the matter said.

Thune was first elected to the Senate in 2004, winning in a major upset against Senator Tom Daschle, who was then the incumbent Democratic leader.