John Thune
American politician (born 1961)
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Key Takeaways
- John Randolph Thune ( THOON ; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005.
- representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district .
- A South Dakota native, Thune is a graduate of Biola University and the University of South Dakota.
- He first ran for the U.
- In 2004, Thune ran for Senate again and defeated Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, making Daschle the first incumbent Senate leader to lose an election since 1952.
John Randolph Thune ( THOON; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005. From 1997 to 2003, he was the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district. A Republican, Thune has been the Senate majority leader and Senate Republican leader since January 2025.
A South Dakota native, Thune is a graduate of Biola University and the University of South Dakota. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and reelected in 1998 and 2000. He first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, narrowly losing to incumbent senator Tim Johnson. In 2004, Thune ran for Senate again and defeated Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, making Daschle the first incumbent Senate leader to lose an election since 1952.
During his Senate tenure, Thune has served as the Republican chief deputy whip (2007–2009); chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (2009–2012); Senate Republican Conference chair (2012–2019); majority whip (2019–2021); and minority whip (2021–2025).
In 2024, Thune was elected Senate Republican leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell.
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