South Dakota’s Thune wins Senate GOP leader race

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., has won the Senate GOP leader race, succeeding Mitch McConnell after an 18-year tenure, according to two sources in the room, Axiosreported today.

Thune’s win is a good sign for agriculture. He comes from an agricultural state and has been a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee for many years.

Axios said, “The South Dakota Republican is now the second most powerful man in Washington. His win is a victory for the post-Trump establishment. He’s not a natural, true-believer Trump guy like Rick Scott and his supporters are. Scott was eliminated on the first ballot, despite heavy MAGA pressure. Scott challenged McConnell in 2022, falling far short but getting 10 GOP votes. John Cornyn was an underdog to Thune, but ended up finishing in a close second.”

Allies of President-elect Trump and Make America Great Again influencers backed Scott, but Trump did not make an endorsement in the race.

–The Hagstrom Report