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. As a Republican, he became Senate majority leader and Senate Republican leader in January 2025. Currently in his fourth Senate term, he has been the dean of South Dakota's congressional delegation since 2015.

Sections (5)

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

1952: Tom Daschle Becomes First Incumbent Senate Leader to Lose an Election

In 1952, Tom Daschle became the first incumbent Senate leader to lose an election.

1952: Daschle's Loss Milestone

On November 2, 2004, Daschle's loss was the first ousting of an incumbent floor leader since 1952, when Arizona Senator Ernest McFarland lost to Barry Goldwater.

1985: Legislative Aide

In 1985, Thune became a legislative aide for U.S. Senator James Abdnor.

1987: Legislative Aide Role Ends

In 1987, Thune's role as legislative aide for U.S. Senator James Abdnor ended.

1989: Executive Director of the State Republican Party

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

1991: Railroad Director of South Dakota

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

1993: Executive Director of the South Dakota Municipal League

In 1993, Thune became the executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League.

May 1996: Hillard leads Thune in the primary

In May 1996, a poll indicated that Hillard was leading Thune by a margin of 69%-15%.

1996: End of Directorship

In 1996, Thune's tenure as the executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League ended.

1998: Re-election to U.S. House

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

2000: Re-election to U.S. House

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

2002: U.S. Senate Election Loss

In 2002, Thune ran against incumbent Democratic U.S. senator Tim Johnson for the U.S. Senate, losing by only 524 votes.

2003: Daschle Decides Against Presidential Run

In early 2003, Tom Daschle unexpectedly decided not to run for president.

November 2, 2004: Thune Defeats Daschle

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

2004: Thune a Rising Star

After Thune defeated Daschle in 2004, many Republicans regarded him as a "rising star with unlimited political potential".

2004: Thune Challenges Tom Daschle

In 2004, Thune challenged Tom Daschle, the United States Senate minority leader.

2004: Expensive Senate Race

In 2004, the U.S. Senate race in South Dakota became the most expensive Senate race of the year, costing $30 million.

November 2006: Thune Believed US Could Win Iraq War

In November 2006, John Thune expressed his belief that the United States could achieve victory in the Iraq War by establishing stability in the region. He emphasized the importance of preventing Iraq from becoming a base for terrorist attacks, and supported granting military commanders the authority to decide when to reduce U.S. military forces in the area.

December 6, 2006: Chief Deputy Whip

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

2006: Republican chief deputy whip

Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip from 2006 to 2008.

July 2008: Thune Praised Bush Administration's Iraq Moves

In July 2008, John Thune lauded the Bush administration's strategies in Iraq as a "remarkable success," citing an 80% reduction in civilian casualties. He criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for allegedly failing to acknowledge the progress and gains made as a result of the surge.

2008: Thune Mentioned as Possible Vice-Presidential Pick

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

2008: Republican Conference vice-chairman

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

March 2009: Vote Against Expansion of National Service Corps

In March 2009, Thune was one of 14 senators to vote against a procedural move that essentially guaranteed a major expansion of a national service corps.

June 2009: Chairman of Republican Policy Committee

In June 2009, Thune became chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.

December 2010: Thune Voted Against New START Treaty

In December 2010, John Thune was among 26 senators who voted against the ratification of the New START treaty, a nuclear arms reduction agreement between the United States and Russia. The treaty aimed to limit both countries to no more than 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 deployed launchers over the subsequent seven years, and would continue on-site inspections.

2010: Congressional Budget Office

In March 2009, The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would cost at least $418 million in the fiscal year 2010.

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, ending widespread speculation about a potential bid.

2011: Highest Ranking Republican Senator

In late 2011, the Mitchell Daily Republic wrote: "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, Thune took office as the Republican Conference chairman.

November 2012: Thune Requested Review of Wanxiang Group's Acquisition of A123

In November 2012, John Thune, along with Chuck Grassley, requested that then United States Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner conduct a review of the Chinese company Wanxiang Group's proposed acquisition of the bankrupt battery maker A123. They argued that the review was necessary to ensure the protection of U.S. military and taxpayer interests in A123.

2012: Thune on Mitt Romney's Short List

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

2012: Speculation Arose Regarding a Potential 2012 Presidential Bid

In 2012, significant speculation arose regarding a potential 2012 presidential bid by John Thune. DNC executive director Jennifer O'Malley Dillon publicly said that in a field of generally flawed Republican presidential candidates, Thune was the one she feared. Multiple commentators asserted that a Thune presidential candidacy would be helped by his personal appearance.

March 6, 2014: Introduction of the Reliable Home Heating Act

On March 6, 2014, Thune introduced the Reliable Home Heating Act (S. 2086; 113th Congress), which addresses federal safety regulations for motor carriers transporting home heating oil during state of emergencies and requires the EIA to monitor petroleum reserves.

2014: Congressional Budget Office

In March 2009, The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would cost at least $5.7 billion from 2010 to 2014.

March 2016: Thune Opposed Considering Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

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

September 2016: Thune Signed Letter Regarding Russian Airstrikes in Syria

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

2016: Thune Declined to Seek the Presidency

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

June 2017: Thune Co-Sponsored Israel Anti-Boycott Act

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

June 22, 2017: Senate Version of American Health Care Act of 2017 Released

On June 22, 2017, the Senate version of the American Health Care Act of 2017, of which Thune was a part of the group of 13 senators that drafted it, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, was released.

October 3, 2017: Thune's Comments on Las Vegas Shooting

On October 3, 2017, John Thune gained media attention following the mass shooting in Las Vegas. He mentioned the use of conversion kits to make weapons more lethal. Thune suggested people take precautions in their own lives to protect themselves and "get small" in such situations.

December 2017: Letter to McConnell and Schumer on 340B Program

In December 2017, Thune was one of six senators to sign a letter requesting Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer's help in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the 340B program.

January 2018: Thune Requested Preservation of NAFTA

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

March 2018: Thune Voted to Table Resolution on Yemen Troop Withdrawal

In March 2018, John Thune voted to table a resolution spearheaded by Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Mike Lee. The resolution would have required President Trump to withdraw American troops from Yemen within 30 days unless they were combating Al-Qaeda.

July 2018: Thune on Aid for Agricultural Producers Affected by Retaliatory Tariffs

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

October 2018: Thune Requested Briefings About Chinese Hardware Tampering

In October 2018, John Thune requested staff briefings regarding a Bloomberg report alleging that the Chinese government had implanted malicious hardware into server motherboards. He emphasized that these charges of purposeful tampering with the U.S. hardware supply chain by a foreign power must be taken seriously.

January 2019: Legislation to Repeal Estate Tax

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

February 2019: Sponsorship of Employer Participation in Repayment Act

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

March 2019: Vote Against Green New Deal

In March 2019, Thune joined all Senate Republicans, three Democrats, and Angus King in voting against the Green New Deal resolution.

March 2019: Letter on Dairy Farmer Market Instability

In March 2019, Thune was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to U.S. secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue regarding market instability for dairy farmers and urging encouragement of the Dairy Margin Coverage program.

May 2020: COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Privacy Bill

In May 2020, a group of Senate Republicans planned to introduce a privacy bill to regulate data collected by COVID-19 contact-tracing apps, with Thune stating that the act would allow for tracing the virus while maintaining privacy protections.

September 2020: Thune Supported Immediate Vote on Trump's Supreme Court Nominee

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 the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

December 2020: Thune Opposed Challenging 2020 Election Results

In December 2020, John Thune voiced his opposition to any further efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election, stating that such efforts would "go down like a shot dog" in the Senate.

January 2022: Thune Seeks Reelection

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

2022: Donald Trump Publicly called on South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to challenge Thune in a U.S. Senate primary

In 2022, after Thune opposed any further efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump responded by attacking Thune on Twitter and publicly called on South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to challenge him in a 2022 U.S. Senate primary.

2022: Thune on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, John Thune stated that the Ukrainian people would be unable to sustain the war without military support from the U.S. and other countries. He urged European partners to significantly increase their contributions to aid Ukraine.

November 13, 2024: Senate Majority Leader Election Win

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

November 2024: Chosen to Replace McConnell

In November 2024, Thune was chosen to replace the retiring Mitch McConnell following the November 2024 U.S. elections.

2024: Thune Elected Senate Republican Leader

In 2024, Thune was elected as the Senate Republican leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell.

2025: Thune Supported Secondary Sanctions Against Russia

In 2025, John Thune supported secondary sanctions against Russia, which would impose 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, natural gas, uranium, and other exports.