Republican Sen. John Thune, of South Dakota, announced Saturday that he is running for re-election in 2022.
Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, drew Donald Trump’s ire on January 6 for speaking out in favor of accepting the Electoral College results and President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
In response, Trump encouraged current South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run against Thune in the election.
“I’ve always promised that I would do the work, even when it was hard, uncomfortable, or unpopular. That work continues, which is why after careful consideration and prayer, and with the support of my family, I’m asking South Dakotans for the opportunity to continue serving them in the U.S Senate,” he said in a statement shared on Twitter.
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Thune, 61, is currently serving his third term as a senator and is widely seen as the likely successor to Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in history.
His announcement comes days after he said he was considering giving up his South Dakota seat because of both family concerns and Donald Trump’s enduring hold on the GOP.
— John Thune (@johnthune) January 8, 2022
