Ryan Wrasse channels his boss, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), as a polished exemplar of Republican leadership on Capitol Hill.

Always cool under pressure and perfectly dressed, Wrasse always knows what’s happening at the very top levels of decisionmaking, even if he won’t share all the details with the crowd of reporters that swells around him in the Ohio Clock Corridor.

Just like Thune, Wrasse projects Midwestern affability, integrity and a commitment to principles, which has helped him build trust and respect with the Capitol’s press corps.

Wrasse plays a central role in crafting Senate Republican messaging strategy. He’s been a big reason Senate Republicans have kept focused on their goals this year.

That focus has allowed Senate Republicans to confirm Trump’s Cabinet at the fastest pace in decades and pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act before July 4 — meeting Trump’s deadline despite strong Democratic opposition and widespread skepticism in Washington.  

Wrasse, a native of Minocqua, Wis., is adept at painting a big-picture narrative and explaining complex procedural details, such as when Senate Republicans voted this year to expand the score of the Congressional Review Act to tackle EPA waivers granted to California.

Democrats accused Republicans of trampling on the rules, but Wrasse articulated the rationale that convinced the Senate GOP conference to see the vote as necessary for breaking gridlock while preserving the institution.  

Wrasse framed the narrative of last year’s leadership race between Thune and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and helped establish Thune’s credentials, record and fundraising prowess, which made him the front-runner for the top job.

He has worked for Thune since 2012, placing him squarely with the leader’s inner circle. He followed Thune’s rise through the ranks from Senate Republican Conference chair to Republican whip and then to majority leader.

Wrasse has spent his entire 16-year Senate career in the Republican leadership, working for former Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) from 2009-11 when Alexander was the Senate Republican Conference chair.

He graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and was a confidential assistant in former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez’s office of legislative affairs before coming to Capitol Hill.