History of John Thune in Timeline

John Thune is the senior United States Senator from South Dakota, serving since 2005. A Republican, he assumed the roles of Senate Majority Leader and Senate Republican Leader in January 2025. He is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate. Thune has also been the dean of South Dakota's congressional delegation since 2015.

Sections (5)

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

January 7, 1961: John Thune's Birth

On January 7, 1961, John Randolph Thune was born. He is now the senior United States senator from South Dakota.

Others born on this day/year

1984: Thune Marries Kimberley Weems

In 1984, John Thune married Kimberley Weems of Doland, South Dakota.

May 1996: Hillard leading Thune

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

November 2006: Thune's Belief on Iraq War

In November 2006, John Thune stated his belief that the U.S. could achieve victory in the Iraq War through stability, emphasizing the importance of preventing Iraq from becoming a staging ground for terrorist attacks. He supported granting military commanders the authority to decide on the reduction of U.S. military forces in the region.

December 6, 2006: Thune chosen as GOP 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.

July 2008: Thune on Bush Administration's Iraq Moves

In July 2008, Thune described the Bush administration's actions in Iraq as a "remarkable success", citing an 80 percent reduction in civilian casualties. He criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for allegedly failing to acknowledge the progress made due to the surge.

2008: Thune Mentioned as Possible Vice-Presidential Pick

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

March 2009: Thune voted against expansion of national service corps

In March 2009, John 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: Thune became chairman of the Republican Policy Committee

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

2009: Thune, the Fastest Man in Congress

Since 2009, John Thune has been "the fastest man in Congress", because he has frequently competed in running events.

December 2010: Thune Votes Against New START Treaty

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

February 22, 2011: Thune Announces He Will Not Run for President in 2012

On February 22, 2011, John Thune announced his decision not to run for president in 2012.

January 2012: Thune Elected Republican Conference chairman

In January 2012, John Thune was elected Republican Conference chairman, taking office. The conference chairman is the third-ranking position in the Senate.

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

In November 2012, John Thune, along with Chuck Grassley, requested that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner review the Chinese company Wanxiang Group's plan to acquire bankrupt battery maker A123. They argued the transaction required scrutiny to protect U.S. military and taxpayer interests in A123.

2012: Thune's "Window" for Presidency Might Have Closed

Despite some speculation, Thune declined to seek the presidency in 2016, saying that his "window ... might have closed in 2012".

2012: Thune on Romney's Short List for 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: Runner's World Feature on Thune

In 2012, Runner's World Magazine featured John Thune, calling him "the fastest man in Congress since 2009," highlighting his physical activity and participation in running events.

2012: Speculation Around Potential Presidential Bid by Thune

In 2012, significant speculation arose regarding a potential 2012 presidential bid by John Thune. He was encouraged to run by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who called him "a consensus builder".

March 6, 2014: Thune introduced the Reliable Home Heating Act

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

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

In March 2016, John Thune declared his opposition to considering President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, arguing that the next president should make the lifetime appointment to allow the American people to have their voices heard on the nomination.

May 2016: Thune requests details on Facebook's Trending Topics feature

In May 2016, John Thune sent Facebook a letter requesting details on how it operates its Trending Topics feature, after allegations of anti-conservative bias.

September 2016: Thune Signs Letter Advocating Against Russian Airstrikes in Syria

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

2016: Thune Declines to Seek Presidency

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

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

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

June 22, 2017: Release of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017

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

October 3, 2017: Thune Responds to Las Vegas Mass Shooting

On October 3, 2017, John Thune responded to the mass shooting in Las Vegas by mentioning the shooter's use of conversion kits to make weapons more lethal. He stated the need to prevent such tragedies, acknowledged the challenges in an open society, and suggested that people take personal precautions for their safety, advising to "get small".

December 2017: Thune requests help for the 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".

January 2018: Thune Signs Letter Requesting Preservation of NAFTA

In January 2018, John Thune was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter to President Trump requesting he preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement by modernizing it for the economy of the 21st century.

March 2018: Thune Votes 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 that would have required President Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing Yemen within the next 30 days unless they were combating Al-Qaeda.

June 2018: Thune Calls for Winding Down Mueller Investigation

In June 2018, John Thune called on Special Counsel Robert Mueller to "start winding" down his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

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

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

October 2018: Thune Requests Briefings on Chinese Hardware Tampering

In October 2018, John Thune requested staff briefings regarding a Bloomberg report about the Chinese government allegedly implanting malicious hardware into server motherboards. He expressed concern that the U.S. hardware supply chain had been purposely tampered with by a foreign power and stressed the need to take the matter seriously.

2018: Thune's Family Life in 2018

As of 2018, John Thune and his wife Kimberley had two daughters and five grandchildren.

January 2019: Thune Introduced Legislation to Repeal the 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: Thune sponsors 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: Thune Votes Against Green New Deal Resolution

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

March 2019: Thune Warns of Dairy Farmers' Struggles

In March 2019, John Thune was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue warning that dairy farmers "have continued to face market instability and are struggling to survive the fourth year of sustained low prices".

May 2020: Senate Republicans Plan Privacy Bill for COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Apps

In May 2020, a group of Senate Republicans planned to introduce a privacy bill that would regulate the data COVID-19 contact-tracing apps collect. John Thune said the act would permit the creation of "platforms that could trace the virus and help flatten the curve and stop the spread—and maintaining privacy protections for U.S. citizens".

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

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

December 2020: Thune Opposes Challenging 2020 Election Results

In December 2020, John Thune voiced his opposition to any further efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results, predicting that such attempts would fail in the Senate. This stance drew criticism from then-President Donald Trump.

2020: Thune Votes to Certify 2020 Election

In 2020, John Thune voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

January 6, 2021: Thune Denounces Trump's Role in January 6th Riot

On January 6, 2021, John Thune "directly denounced Trump for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his role in the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He called his involvement and that of the rioters 'inexcusable'".

2022: Trump Calls on Noem to Challenge Thune

In 2022, Donald Trump, publicly called on South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to challenge John Thune in a 2022 U.S. Senate primary because he opposed any further efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results.

2022: Thune on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, John Thune emphasized that the Ukrainian people required military support from the U.S. and other countries to sustain the war. He also urged European partners to make significant contributions to aid Ukraine.

November 13, 2024: Thune wins Senate Republican Conference leadership election

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

November 2024: Republicans carried the Senate

In November 2024, Republicans carried the Senate.

January 7, 2025: Thune speaks at Jimmy Carter's funeral

On January 7, 2025, John Thune spoke at Jimmy Carter's funeral service alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and House speaker Mike Johnson.

2025: Thune Supports Secondary Sanctions Against Russia

In 2025, John Thune voiced his support for secondary sanctions against Russia, proposing the imposition of 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, natural gas, uranium, and other exports.