Sen. John Thune wins Senate majority leader post for incoming Trump government

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Thune was elected by Republican senators to serve as new majority leader, a major decision that offers some clues about how Washington will work in the incoming second administration of President-elect Trump.

Thune, a South Dakota conservative, beat Sen John Cornyn of Texas in a 29-24 vote on the second round.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was eliminated on the first ballot, CNN reported.

Thune will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, who ruled over the GOP caucus of the upper chamber for two decades.

Trump did not publicly endorse anyone.

Newly reelected Scott framed himself as the closest ally of Trump, which was thought could give him an edge. But he lost an insurgent challenge to McConnell last year, reportedly garnering only about 10 votes.

There were no obvious ideological differences between Thune and Cornyn, both of whom have been establishment conservatives and lieutenants of McConnell for years.

The senators voted by secret ballot in a runoff, eliminating the lowest-performing candidate in the event of a vote with no majority.

Thune’s win offers a first test of Trump’s relationship with Congress after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris and claiming a mandate for his far right-wing agenda, some of which will need the support of Congress.

Republicans are also expected to hold control of the House of Representatives, although by a narrow margin.

That would give Trump and the GOP unified control of the government, along with the pliant support of a conservative-dominated Supreme Court.

Thune and Cornyn campaigned mostly within the Senate, working senators individually and privately and raising millions of dollars for Senate GOP candidates. Both sprung into action last spring after McConnell announced he would step aside from leadership.

Scott ran a much more public-facing campaign, touting endorsements from MAGA allies including billionaire Elon Musk.

The Senate pick could set the tone for Trump’s attempts to assert more control over the legislative branch in his second presidency. Some senators may be wary of ceding too much power, particularly since Trump has occasionally veered far from conservative orthodoxy, especially on economic policy.

Trump always had a rocky relationship with McConnell, and Trump was often frustrated that lawmakers would not fully bend to his will.

Both Cornyn and Thune were viewed by their colleagues as institutionalists in the mold of McConnell, although they have gone the extra mile to ingratiate themselves with Trump and his MAGA allies in recent months.

All the candidates have shown they will defer to the incoming president as the leader of the party, and that they are willing to cede some of the Senate’s power to do so.

They all quickly said they would allow Trump to appoint Cabinet members and others without Senate confirmation votes after the incoming president tweeted that they “must agree” to do so.