Sen. John Thune of South Dakota will be the Senate Republican majority leader beginning in January, as Republicans are poised to take control of the Senate, the House and the Oval Office.
With 53 seats now Republican, Thune will not need the cooperation of Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska or Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who are two senators who are unreliable allies of the Republican caucus.
Thune spoke to the Alaska GOP convention in July in Milwaukee, Wisc. at the invitation of Sen. Dan Sullivan. Thune has been a strong supporter of the Alaska economy, believing in Alaska’s resource potential. He has been to the state several times.
““All three candidates for Senate Majority Leader are good friends of mine who will work relentlessly to implement the Trump policies that the American people just overwhelmingly voted for. I pressed each of them on implementing key elements of the incoming Trump administration agenda, as well as important priorities for Alaska. Senator Thune has a long history of helping Alaska and understanding our state’s unique challenges. I am confident our new Majority Leader will work closely with the new administration and members of the new Senate Majority to confirm President Trump’s nominees, advance our legislative agenda, and put America back on track,” Sullivan said in a statement to Must Read Alaska.
In the 1980s Thune worked for President Ronald Reagan, and later was the executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party, before being named the director of the state’s railroad. He ran in 1996 and won a seat in the U.S. House and later won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2004.
For the 118th Congress, he serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Finance Committee. He serves as ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband and ranking member of the Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight.
He also serves as the Senate Republican whip, the number two position in Senate Republican leadership, and has previously served as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009–2011 and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 2012-2018.
Both Sen. Sullivan and Sen. Murkowski supported Thune in his bid to lead the U.S. Senate.
On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump threw his support to House Speaker Mike Johnson to continue in that role in the coming year. The House Speaker is third in line to the presidency, and is a position of interest to any sitting president.
Good. Tons better than Rick Scott.
BREAKING: Donald Trump nominates Godzilla for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Once again, Trump is surrounding himself with Deep State actors. I guess he’ll never learn. Mike Johnson is anything but, America First!
> Both Sen. Sullivan and Sen. Murkowski supported Thune in his bid to lead the U.S. Senate.
Of course they did.
Micah – Your comment is right on the mark! Unfortunately, it appears that Trump has been compromised. No surprise there as he has been under constant attack from the establishment for years. It appears that they finally have a leash on him! Hope for the best and plan for the worse.
“Art of the Deal”?
I will be voting for anyone but Dan Sullivan. Thune Jr.
The best news of all is that Lisa Murkowski, as she should be, is no longer relevant within a party that she has never belonged unto, and as such, holds no power whatsoever, even if she officially joins her given team, the Democrats, or goes Democrat lite, as a supposed Independent.
As such, she should immediately resign her position as of January 20, 2025, upon Donald Trump’s inauguration, and fade away unto the failed and humiliating existence of her lack of representative tasks unto the populace of Alaska as a whole, rather than the bought for and elitest personal vendetta against what Alaska, and Alaskans truly stand for.
And if not, so be it, as Lisa shall be gone upon the next election cycle, within greater numbers than even she could comprehend.
Take the easy way out, Lisa. Your next test is where you shall fail magnificently, and within full public view.
Senator Thune and Speaker Johnson are arranging the ban of IVF. Rep. Nancy Mace is not pleased.
How many elections has she won in this state? Too many Alaskans are addicted to free stuff.
on 10/8/2016, John Thune stated that ‘Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately.’
He is a McConnell acolyte and he has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not support Donald Trump in the least and he will do nothing but obstruct progress. And it is sickening that Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski voted for him and against the will of Alaskans. They are all the swamp, and they are all the reason that recess appointments will be made.
Thankyou for bringing this up. Thune and Corbyn were groomed by McConnel to replace him.
The administrative state autocracy has developed layered defenses to preserve the status quo in Washington.
The GOP Senate will slow walk and block Trumps’ agenda.
Sullivan and Murkowski are all in on the Ukraine public funds laundromat and maintaining the ever growing spending with continuing resolutions.
What is the value of the kickbacks they receive for Ukraine funding?
Who says Rinos are endangered. Washington and Juneau are infested with them.
Link to Rinos and how they vote.
‘https://rinowatch.com/tag/dan-sullivan/
Hinky said: They are all the swamp, and they are all the reason that recess appointments will be made.
Won’t the RINO Thune bar Trump from making recess appointments, just like the RINO McConnell did?
Won’t the RINO Murkowski volunteer to be the first in line to wield the gavel at the pro forma sessions, just like she was the first in line under the RINO McConnell?
Murk says Matt is not serious nominee.. this from a woman who failed the bar FIVE TIMES.
It’s never been a question of where Lisa stands, but with Sen. Dan Sullivan it’s always been a question. Dan would make just enough of the right votes so you wouldn’t see him for a Swamp Rat. Well today we know for sure… Looks like he’s in lock step with Sen. Mitch McConnell ( Moscow Mitch ). Dan will NEVER have our vote or donation funding Ever Again. Remember Ohio Dan… In Alaska if your not the lead dog… The View never changes.
Micah – Your comment is right on the mark! Unfortunately, it appears that Trump has been compromised. No surprise there as he has been under constant attack from the establishment for years. It appears that they finally have a leash on him! Hope for the best and plan for the worse.
Two assassination attempts will do that to a fella.
Ukraine Dan and gun taking Lisa , ani’t these loser a pair. I know Must Read Alaska loves Ukraine Dan and Thune. Remember if it wasn’t for Thune and Ukraine Dan and Mitch McConnell dumping 9,000,000 dollars in Alaska we wouldn’t have RINO Lisa and hopefully in two years UNAMERICAN Ukraine Dan gets kicked to the curb. Maybe he will get back in the paint business with his family or maybe Dan and Ray can run the illegal warrants against Americans and go to jail because they didn’t follow there oath , these are two lawyers that should be in prison along with every senator that voted for it.