Republicans in the Senate elected Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., majority leader Wednesday, rejecting MAGA-backed candidate Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and a third contender, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, making Thune the first new Senate GOP leader in 18 years after Republicans regained control of the upper chamber in last week’s election.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., arrives for the Senate Republican leadership elections at the U.S. Capitol ... [+]
Scott was eliminated on the first ballot after getting the fewest amount of votes, and Thune won on the second in a 29-24 vote, according to multiple reports.
The election was conducted Wednesday by secret ballot after Republicans won control of the upper chamber, 53-47, last week.
Thune replaces Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the longest-serving party leader in Senate history who announced his retirement from the post in February.
Thune and Cornyn were widely considered McConnell’s most likely successors, but Scott emerged earlier this year as an insurgent candidate and racked up endorsements from President-elect Donald Trump’s allies over the past week, including Elon Musk and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., though Trump did not weigh in on the contest.
This is a developing story and will be updated.