Senator John Thune (R-SD) has emerged victorious in the GOP Senate leadership race, overcoming fierce competition from MAGA favorite Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and veteran Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). The final vote tally saw Thune narrowly defeat Cornyn by 29 votes to 24 in the second round, securing the position of Senate Republican leader.
In the initial round of voting, Thune led with 25 votes, followed by Cornyn with 15, and Scott trailing with just 13 — a major blow to the Florida senator, who had been heavily backed by pro-Trump pundits and influencers.
Thune’s victory marks a significant shift in Republican leadership dynamics, as he now takes over from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who announced his decision to retire from leadership earlier this year. Thune, who has served as the Senate GOP Whip since 2019, positioned himself as a unifying figure within the party, vowing to bring Republicans together “behind President Trump’s agenda” in his victory speech.
In the days leading up to the vote, Scott, a vocal ally of former President Donald Trump, garnered strong backing from MAGA supporters on social media platforms, including figures like Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson. The rallying cry for Scott was driven by a sense of distrust toward Thune, who had previously clashed with Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, making him a less palatable choice for the MAGA base.
Thune’s victory is seen as a rebuke of Scott’s bid, which had been positioned as a challenge to what MAGA critics call the “establishment” wing of the Republican Party. As the new GOP leader, Thune will now navigate a delicate balance between traditional conservative leadership and the more populist faction of the party, with Trump’s influence looming large over the Senate’s direction.
