Career Timeline of John Thune: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how John Thune made an impact.

John Thune is the senior United States Senator from South Dakota, serving since 2005. A Republican, he previously served as a U.S. Representative for South Dakota from 1997 to 2003. He currently holds the position of Senate majority leader and Senate Republican leader, a role he has held since 2025. Thune is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate and is the dean of South Dakota's congressional delegation.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1985: Legislative Aide

In 1985, John Thune began working as a legislative aide for U.S. senator James Abdnor.

1987: End of Legislative Aide Position

In 1987, John Thune concluded his role as a legislative aide for U.S. senator James Abdnor.

1989: Executive Director

In 1989, John Thune moved to Pierre and served as executive director of the state Republican Party for two years.

1991: Railroad Director

In 1991, John Thune was appointed Railroad Director of South Dakota by Governor George S. Mickelson.

1993: Executive Director of South Dakota Municipal League

In 1993, John Thune began serving as the executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League.

May 1996: Poll Showing Hillard Leading Thune

In May 1996, a poll indicated that Carole Hillard was leading John Thune by a margin of 69%-15% in the Republican primary for South Dakota's U.S. House seat.

1996: End of Executive Director of South Dakota Municipal League

In 1996, John Thune concluded his role as the executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League.

1997: US Representative

In 1997, John Thune became the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district.

1998: Re-elected to U.S. House

In 1998, John Thune was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 75% of the vote.

2000: Re-elected to US House

In 2000, John Thune was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 73% of the vote.

2002: Lost Senate Race

In 2002, John Thune ran against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson and lost by a narrow margin of 524 votes (0.15%).

2003: End of US Representative Term

In 2003, John Thune concluded his service as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district, having served three terms since 1997.

November 2, 2004: Defeated Daschle

On November 2, 2004, John Thune defeated Tom Daschle by 4,508 votes, winning 51% of the vote.

2004: Challenged Tom Daschle

In 2004, John Thune challenged Tom Daschle, the United States Senate minority leader and leader of the Senate Democrats, in a U.S. Senate race in South Dakota.

2004: Campaign Success

In 2004, South Dakota native Tom Brokaw commented that John Thune "ran a very strong campaign" to win the 2004 race.

2004: Expensive Senate Race

In 2004, the U.S. Senate race in South Dakota was the most expensive Senate race that year and the most expensive race in South Dakota history, with a total of $30 million spent.

2005: Became US Senator

In 2005, John Thune began serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota.

November 2006: Thune's belief on US winning the Iraq War

In November 2006, John Thune expressed his belief that the U.S. could achieve victory in the Iraq War through stability. He emphasized the importance of preventing Iraq from becoming a staging ground for terrorist attacks and supported military commanders having the final say on troop reduction.

December 6, 2006: Chief Deputy Whip

On December 6, 2006, John Thune was chosen by Senate Republican whip Trent Lott to be the GOP's chief deputy whip.

2006: Republican Chief Deputy Whip

In 2006, John Thune was the Republican chief deputy whip from 2006 to 2008.

2007: Republican Chief Deputy Whip

In 2007, John Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip.

July 2008: Thune's comment on the Bush administration's moves in Iraq

In July 2008, John Thune remarked that the Bush administration's actions in Iraq had been a "remarkable success," highlighting an 80 percent decrease in civilian casualties. Thune also criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for not acknowledging the progress made due to the surge.

2008: Republican Conference Vice-Chairman

In 2008, John Thune served as vice chairman of the Republican Conference from 2008 to 2009.

2008: Thune as a possible vice-presidential pick

In 2008, before Sarah Palin's selection, John Thune was mentioned as a potential vice-presidential pick for Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Thune publicly played down the speculation.

June 2009: Chairman of Republican Policy Committee

In June 2009, after briefly serving as Republican Conference vice-chairman, John Thune became chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.

2009: Chaired Senate Republican Policy Committee

In 2009, John Thune became the chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

December 2010: Thune voted against New START

In December 2010, John Thune was among the 26 senators who voted against the ratification of New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation. This treaty aimed to limit both countries to no more than 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 launchers, while also continuing on-site inspections.

February 22, 2011: Thune announced he would not run for president in 2012

On February 22, 2011, John Thune announced that he would not be running for president in 2012.

2011: Highest Ranking Republican Senator

In late 2011, the Mitchell Daily Republic wrote that Thune's elevation to the No. 3 spot makes him the highest-ranking Republican senator in South Dakota history.

January 2012: Republican Conference Chairman

In January 2012, John Thune was elected Republican Conference chairman.

November 2012: Thune requested a review of Wanxiang Group's plan to acquire A123

In November 2012, John Thune, alongside Chuck Grassley, requested that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner review the Wanxiang Group's plan to acquire A123 Systems, a bankrupt battery maker. The senators sought to ensure that U.S. military and taxpayer interests in A123 were protected during the transaction.

2012: Thune was on Mitt Romney's short list as a potential running mate

During the summer of 2012, the USA Today reported that John Thune was on Mitt Romney's short list as a potential running mate. Ultimately, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan was selected instead.

2012: Senate Republican Conference Chair

In 2012, John Thune became the Senate Republican Conference chair, the third-ranking position in the Senate.

2012: Speculation about a potential 2012 presidential bid by Thune

In 2012, there was significant speculation regarding a potential 2012 presidential bid by John Thune. Thune was encouraged to run by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. DNC executive director Jennifer O'Malley Dillon publicly said that Thune was the one she feared. Multiple commentators asserted that a Thune presidential candidacy would be helped by his personal appearance.

2012: Thune declined to seek the presidency in 2016

In 2016, John Thune declined to seek the presidency, stating that his "window ... might have closed in 2012".

March 6, 2014: Introduced Reliable Home Heating Act

On March 6, 2014, John Thune introduced the Reliable Home Heating Act (S. 2086; 113th Congress).

March 2016: Thune opposed considering President Obama's Supreme Court nominee

In March 2016, approximately seven months before the presidential election, John Thune declared his opposition to considering President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court. Thune stated that the next president should make this lifetime appointment, as the American people deserved to have their voices heard on the nomination of the next Supreme Court justice.

September 2016: Thune signed a letter advocating against Russia's airstrikes in Syria

In September 2016, John Thune was among 34 senators who signed a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry. The letter advocated that the United States employ "all available tools to dissuade Russia from continuing its airstrikes in Syria" from an Iranian airbase near Hamadan. The senators argued that these airstrikes violated a legally binding Security Council Resolution on Iran.

2016: Thune declined to seek the presidency in 2016

In 2016, John Thune declined to seek the presidency, stating that his "window ... might have closed in 2012".

June 2017: Thune co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In June 2017, John Thune co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (s. 720). The act proposed making it a federal crime to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel, with a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.

July 2017: Thune said Republicans would continue trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act

In July 2017, John Thune stated that Republicans would persist in their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, irrespective of whether the current month's attempt failed. He emphasized that it was not a matter of if, but when, they would vote to repeal and replace Obamacare.

October 3, 2017: Thune's Response to the Las Vegas Mass Shooting

On October 3, 2017, following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, John Thune suggested that the shooter used conversion kits to make the weapons more lethal. He added that people may need to take precautions to protect themselves, advising them to "get small" in dangerous situations.

December 2017: Signed Letter on 340B Program

In December 2017, John Thune was one of six senators to sign a letter to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requesting their "help in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the 340B program", a rule mandating that drug companies give discounts to health-care organizations presently serving large numbers of low-income patients.

January 2018: Thune signed a letter requesting Trump preserve NAFTA

In January 2018, John Thune was among 36 Republican senators who signed a letter to President Trump. They requested that he preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement by modernizing it for the 21st-century economy.

March 2018: Thune voted to table a resolution regarding American troops in Yemen

In March 2018, John Thune voted to table a resolution spearheaded by Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Mike Lee. This resolution aimed to require President Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing Yemen within 30 days, unless they were combating Al-Qaeda.

July 2018: Thune commented on the Trump administration's aid for agricultural producers

In July 2018, as the Trump administration advocated for aid to agricultural producers affected by retaliatory tariffs, John Thune described the plan as offering a "false and short-term" sense of security. He also emphasized the significance of fair and free trade for South Dakota's farmers.

October 2018: Thune requested staff briefings about Bloomberg report.

In October 2018, John Thune requested staff briefings about a Bloomberg report concerning the Chinese government's alleged implantation of malicious hardware into server motherboards. He emphasized that the reported tampering with the U.S. hardware supply chain by a foreign power should be taken seriously.

January 2019: Introduced Legislation to Repeal Estate Tax

In January 2019, John Thune introduced legislation to repeal the estate tax, which applies to couples with estates above $22.4 million.

February 2019: Sponsored Employer Participation in Repayment Act

In February 2019, John Thune was one of 20 senators to sponsor the Employer Participation in Repayment Act, enabling employers to contribute up to $5,250 to their employees' student loans.

March 2019: Letter to Sonny Perdue

In March 2019, John Thune was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to U.S. secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue warning that dairy farmers "have continued to face market instability and are struggling to survive the fourth year of sustained low prices" and urging his department to "strongly encourage these farmers to consider the Dairy Margin Coverage program."

2019: End of Republican Conference Chair

In 2019, John Thune's service as the Senate Republican Conference chair came to an end.

May 2020: Senate Republicans plan to introduce a privacy bill

In May 2020, a group of Senate Republicans, including John Thune, planned to introduce a privacy bill regulating the data collected by COVID-19 contact-tracing apps. This legislation aimed to ensure that businesses are accountable to consumers when using personal data to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to create platforms for tracing the virus while maintaining privacy protections for U.S. citizens.

September 2020: Thune supported an immediate vote on Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy

In September 2020, less than two months before the next presidential election, John Thune supported an immediate vote on President Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy caused by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death.

December 2020: Thune opposed further efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results

In December 2020, John Thune voiced his opposition to any additional attempts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. He suggested that such efforts would be unsuccessful in the Senate.

2020: Minority Whip

In 2020, John Thune was chosen as the minority whip for the 117th Congress.

January 2022: Announced Reelection Bid

In January 2022, John Thune announced that he would seek reelection to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

2022: Thune's comment on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, John Thune stated that the Ukrainian people could not sustain the war without military support from the U.S. and other countries. He also urged European partners to make substantial contributions to aid Ukraine.

November 13, 2024: Won Senate Republican Conference Leadership Election

On November 13, 2024, John Thune won the Senate Republican Conference leadership election to become the next Senate majority leader.

November 2024: Replace Retiring Mitch McConnell

In November 2024, John Thune was chosen to replace the retiring Mitch McConnell following the November 2024 U.S. elections, in which Republicans carried the Senate.