Sen. John Thune (R-SD) ended any doubt that he is vying to replace Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday after the minority leader announced his retirement last week.
Thune, who has served as the Republican whip since 2019, soft-launched his campaign on Thursday by acknowledging he would sit down with Senate colleagues to explore the possibility of a run but held off on making a formal announcement.
He came off the sidelines on Monday, however, telling local news outlets in his home state of South Dakota that he wants to be the next GOP leader when McConnell steps down in November.
“I hope to be, and I’m going to do everything I can to convince my colleagues, they’re the voters. They’re the ones who will ultimately make the decision,” he told KELOLAND News.
Thune is one of three “Johns” viewed as the leading contenders for the slot. He has the early advantage of being the No. 2 Senate Republican but will face stiff competition from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), an adviser to McConnell who previously held the role of whip.
Cornyn launched his candidacy within hours of McConnell announcing his retirement.
The third “John,” Sen. Barrasso (R-WY), has not made his intentions clear but told reporters last week that he would speak with colleagues about “what direction they want to take the conference.”
McConnell’s retirement, though widely expected, took most of his colleagues by surprise given it came nine months before Senate Republicans will hold their leadership elections.
“There’s gonna be a lot of time to sort this out. Maybe in some people’s minds too much time,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the vice chairwoman of the Senate Republican Conference, told the Washington Examiner.
In the interim, Republicans will have a protracted debate about the future of the conference. Senate conservatives, led by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), called for a special meeting later this month to devise a set of goals, while both Thune and Cornyn have made appeals to those colleagues with a promise for member input.
“I think we’re ready for a new generation of consistent, principled, conservative leadership for Republicans in the United States Senate that empowers our individual members, gets back to doing things under regular order, which has gone by the wayside under the leadership of Chuck Schumer as he’s been the majority leader,” Thune said in an interview with Dakota News Now.
“I think this is a real opportunity. Any transition is a chance for a reset. In my view, this is a chance for a reset, and I’d like to be a part of it,” he added.
Long-shot candidates such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) could add a wrinkle to the race. He unsuccessfully challenged McConnell in 2022 but has shown fresh interest in a run for leader.
Perhaps the biggest dynamic, however, will be whether former President Donald Trump decides to weigh in on the race.
Thune, like Cornyn, has had a rocky relationship with Trump following his loss in 2020 but has emphasized that he would work well with the former president should be become leader.
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“As I think about the job I have right now and the one I aspire to, I’m going to need to be able to work with the president, and I think he’s got a very good shot at being the next president,” he said on Monday.
So far, Thune is endorsed by at least two Senate Republicans: Mike Rounds (R-SD), his home state colleague, and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
