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John Thune | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Senate Majority Leader | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Whip | John Barrasso |
| Preceded by | Chuck Schumer |
| Leader of the Senate Republican Conference | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Senate Minority Whip | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | Dick Durbin |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | John Cornyn |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jay Rockefeller |
| Succeeded by | Roger Wicker |
| Chair of the Senate Republican Conference | |
| In office January 26, 2012 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Vice Chair | Roy Blunt |
| Preceded by | Lamar Alexander |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee | |
| In office June 17, 2009 – January 26, 2012 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | John Ensign |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| United States Senator from South Dakota | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 Serving with Mike Rounds | |
| Preceded by | Tom Daschle |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Bill Janklow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Randolph Thune January 7, 1961 Pierre, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Kimberley Weems (m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Biola University (BA) University of South Dakota (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
John Randolph Thune (/ˈθuːn/ THOON; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the Senate majority leader and Senate Republican leader since 2025. Thune is in his fourth Senate term and is the dean of South Dakota's congressional delegation. From 1997 to 2003, he served three terms as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district.
Thune has worked in politics and civic organizations since completing his MBA degree. He first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, losing to incumbent Senator Tim Johnson. In 2004, he defeated Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. In the Senate, Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip from 2007 to 2009 and chaired the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009 to 2012. He served as the Senate Republican Conference chair, the third-ranking position in the Senate, from 2012 to 2019.
The Senate Republican Conference selected Thune as the majority whip for the 116th Congress; he succeeded Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who was term-limited in the position. In 2020, he was chosen as minority whip for the 117th Congress. In 2024, he was elected Senate Republican leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell. Thune is the first Senate party leader to have originally taken office as a senator in the 21st century.[1] He has been a strong advocate of the Universal Service Fund and broadband access.
- ^ "Live Updates: Johnson Nominated for Speaker, Thune Elected Senate GOP Leader". The Hill. November 13, 2024. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.