John Randolph Thune, the senior U.S. Senator from South Dakota since 2005, will become Senate majority leader in January 2025. A Republican, he is currently serving his fourth Senate term and has been the Senate minority whip since 2021. Prior to his Senate career, Thune served three terms as a U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1997 to 2003. He is the longest-serving member of South Dakota's current congressional delegation.
1952: Last Ousting of a Floor Leader
In 1952, Arizona Senator Ernest McFarland lost his seat to Barry Goldwater. This was the last time a floor leader was ousted before Daschle's defeat in 2004.
January 7, 1961: Birth of John Thune
John Thune was born on January 7, 1961.
1979: High School Graduation
John Thune graduated from Jones County High School in 1979.
1983: College Graduation
John Thune graduated from Biola University with a BA in business in 1983.
1984: Thune Marries Kimberley Weems
John Thune married Kimberley Weems in 1984.
1984: MBA Graduation
John Thune received his MBA from the University of South Dakota in 1984.
1985: Legislative Aide
John Thune worked as a legislative aide for James Abdnor from 1985 to 1987.
1987: End of Aide Position
John Thune finished his time as a legislative aide in 1987.
1989: State Republican Party Director
Thune became the executive director of the state Republican party in 1989.
1991: Railroad Director of South Dakota
John Thune was appointed Railroad Director of South Dakota in 1991.
1993: South Dakota Municipal League Director
Thune was appointed the executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League in 1993.
May 1996: Leading in Primary
A poll in May 1996 showed Thune leading in the Republican primary against Carole Hillard.
1996: End of Municipal League Director Role
Thune's time as director of the South Dakota Municipal League ended in 1996.
1997: U.S. Representative
John Thune began his service as a U.S. Representative for South Dakota in 1997.
1998: Re-elected to the House
Thune was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998.
2000: Re-elected to the House
John Thune won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000.
2002: Lost Senate Race
In 2002, Thune lost a close Senate race to Tim Johnson.
2002: First Senate Run
John Thune first ran for U.S. Senate in 2002, but lost to Tim Johnson.
2003: End of House Tenure
In 2003 John Thune's time as a U.S. Representative came to a close.
2003: Daschle Doesn't Run for President
Tom Daschle decided not to run for president in 2003.
November 2, 2004: Defeated Daschle
On November 2, 2004, Thune defeated Daschle in the South Dakota Senate race.
2004: Expensive Senate Race
The 2004 Senate race in South Dakota between John Thune and Tom Daschle was the most expensive in the state's history.
2004: Challenged Daschle for Senate
John Thune challenged incumbent Senator Tom Daschle for his Senate seat in 2004.
2004: Defeated Tom Daschle
In 2004, John Thune successfully ran for Senate, defeating Tom Daschle.
2004: Thune Seen as Rising Star
Following his victory over Daschle in 2004, Thune was considered a rising star in the Republican party.
2005: Elected to the Senate
John Thune began serving as a Senator for South Dakota in 2005.
December 6, 2006: Appointed Chief Deputy Whip
On December 6, 2006, John Thune was chosen to be the GOP's Chief Deputy Whip.
2006: Rated 100 by ACU
In 2006, the American Conservative Union gave Thune a 100 rating.
2006: Republican Chief Deputy Whip
John Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip from 2006 to 2008.
2007: Republican Chief Deputy Whip
Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip from 2007 to 2009.
July 2008: Assessment of Bush Administration's Iraq Strategy
In July 2008, Thune described the Bush administration's actions in Iraq as a "remarkable success", citing reduced civilian casualties and criticizing Barack Obama's perspective.
2008: Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference
John Thune served as vice chairman of the Republican Conference from 2008 to 2009.
2008: Thune Considered as McCain's Running Mate
In 2008, Thune was considered as a potential vice presidential candidate for John McCain but ultimately was not selected.
March 2009: Vote Against National Service Corps Expansion
In March 2009, John Thune voted against expanding the national service corps due to budgetary concerns.
June 2009: Chairman of Republican Policy Committee
John Thune took over as the Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee in June 2009.
2009: Thune Recognized as Fastest in Congress
In 2009, John Thune was recognized as the fastest member of congress.
2009: Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee
John Thune served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee starting in 2009.
2009: Chaired Senate Republican Policy Committee
Thune chaired the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009 to 2012.
December 2010: Vote Against New START Treaty
In December 2010, Thune voted against ratifying the New START treaty, a nuclear arms reduction agreement with Russia.
2010: Rated 100 by ACU Again, Praised in Weekly Standard
Thune received another 100 rating from the ACU in 2010, alongside praise in The Weekly Standard for his ability to communicate traditional conservative values.
February 22, 2011: Thune Declines 2012 Presidential Run
On February 22, 2011, Thune announced that he would not run for president in 2012.
2011: Highest-Ranking Republican Senator in South Dakota History
In 2011, John Thune became the highest-ranking Republican senator in South Dakota history upon his election as Republican Conference Chairman.
January 2012: Elected Republican Conference Chairman
John Thune became the Republican Conference Chairman, the third-highest ranking position in the Senate, in January 2012.
November 2012: Request for Review of Wanxiang Group Acquisition
In November 2012, Thune and Chuck Grassley requested a review of the Chinese Wanxiang Group's acquisition of A123, a bankrupt battery maker, due to national security concerns.
2012: Thune on Romney's Vice Presidential Shortlist
During the summer of 2012, Thune was reportedly on Mitt Romney's shortlist for vice president.
2012: Senate Republican Conference Chair
John Thune became the Senate Republican Conference Chair in 2012.
2012: Speculation of a Thune 2012 Presidential Bid
There was speculation that Thune might run for president in 2012. He garnered support from some influential figures but ultimately decided not to run.
2012: Thune Featured in Runner's World
In 2012, Runner's World Magazine featured Thune, highlighting his running accomplishments and calling him "the fastest man in Congress since 2009."
March 6, 2014: Introduction of Reliable Home Heating Act
On March 6, 2014, Thune introduced the Reliable Home Heating Act (S. 2086) to exempt motor carriers transporting home heating oil from certain federal safety regulations during state emergencies.
March 2016: Thune Opposes Considering Obama's Supreme Court Nominee
In March 2016, Thune opposed considering Obama's Supreme Court nominee, arguing that the decision should be made by the next president.
May 2016: Inquiry into Facebook's Trending Topics
In May 2016, following allegations of anti-conservative bias, Thune sent a letter to Facebook requesting information on its Trending Topics feature.
2016: Thune Declines to Seek Presidency in 2016
Thune decided not to seek the presidency in 2016.
2016: Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election
Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election was the subject of an investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
June 2017: Thune Co-sponsors Israel Anti-Boycott Act
John Thune co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act in June 2017, which aimed to criminalize participation in boycotts against Israel.
July 2017: Thune Affirms Commitment to Repealing the Affordable Care Act
In July 2017, Thune reiterated the Republican Party's commitment to repealing the Affordable Care Act.
October 3, 2017: Thune Responds to the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting
On October 3, 2017, following a mass shooting in Las Vegas, Thune suggested that individuals would need to take personal precautions for their safety.
December 2017: Letter Regarding 340B Program
In December 2017, Thune joined other senators in requesting support for the 340B program, which mandates drug discounts for healthcare organizations serving low-income patients.
January 2018: Thune Supports Modernizing NAFTA
In January 2018, Thune was among a group of senators who requested that President Trump modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
March 2018: Thune Votes Against Yemen Troop Withdrawal Resolution
In March 2018, Thune voted against a resolution that would have required the withdrawal of American troops from Yemen.
June 2018: Call for Mueller Investigation to Wind Down
In June 2018, Thune publicly called for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to conclude his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
July 2018: Thune Criticizes Trump Administration's Aid Plan for Farmers
In July 2018, Thune criticized the Trump administration's proposed aid for farmers affected by tariffs, calling it a short-term solution.
October 2018: Request for Briefings on Chinese Hardware Interference
In October 2018, in response to a Bloomberg report on Chinese hardware tampering, Thune requested staff briefings to address national security concerns.
January 2019: Legislation to Repeal the Estate Tax
In January 2019, Thune introduced legislation aimed at repealing the estate tax.
February 2019: Sponsorship of Employer Participation in Repayment Act
In February 2019, Thune co-sponsored the Employer Participation in Repayment Act to allow employers to contribute to employees' student loans.
March 2019: Letter to Sonny Perdue Regarding Dairy Farmers
In March 2019, Thune and other senators wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue about the struggles of dairy farmers and encouraged support through the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
March 2019: Vote Against Green New Deal
In March 2019, Thune voted against the Green New Deal resolution, citing concerns about the potential impact on agriculture.
2019: End of Conference Chair
Thune's time as the Senate Republican Conference Chair concluded in 2019.
May 2020: Thune Supports Privacy Bill for COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Apps
In May 2020, Thune supported a bill designed to protect user privacy in COVID-19 contact-tracing apps while still allowing for effective virus tracking.
September 2020: Thune Supports Immediate Vote on Trump's Supreme Court Nominee
In September 2020, Thune supported an immediate vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee, despite it being close to the presidential election.
December 2020: Thune Opposes Further Election Challenges, Draws Trump's Ire
In December 2020, Thune opposed further challenges to the 2020 presidential election results, leading to criticism from President Trump.
2020: Minority Whip
Thune was selected as minority whip for the 117th Congress in 2020.
2020: Disagreed with Trump on Election Results
Thune publicly disagreed with President Trump's claims about the 2020 election results.
2020: Lifetime ACU Rating
As of 2020, Thune's lifetime ACU rating was 84.11.
2021: Senate Minority Whip
John Thune became the Senate Minority Whip in 2021.
January 2022: Announced Reelection Bid
John Thune announced he would seek reelection to the Senate in January 2022.
2022: Thune Votes to Certify 2020 Presidential Election
In 2022, Thune voted to certify the 2020 presidential election.
2022: Thune on the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Thune emphasized the need for international military support for Ukraine.
November 13, 2024: Senate Majority Leader Election
On November 13, 2024, Thune won the Senate Republican Conference leadership election to become the next Senate Majority Leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell.
November 2024: Republicans Win Senate Majority
Following the November 2024 U.S. elections, the Republican party secured a majority in the Senate.
2024: Senate Republican Leader
In 2024, John Thune was elected Senate Republican leader.
January 2025: Senate Majority Leader
John Thune is expected to become the Senate Majority Leader in January 2025.