Republican senators on Wednesday elected John Thune, the senator from South Dakota, as their new leader, replacing Mitch McConnell.
Thune, who serves as the minority whip, the second-highest-ranking position among Republicans, will become the chamber’s majority leader in January, once newly elected Republican lawmakers take their seats and give the party control of the Senate.
McConnell has led Senate Republicans since 2007, spearheading the opposition to Barack Obama and assisting Donald Trump during his first term in office. The Kentucky senator played a decisive role in creating the supreme court’s conservative supermajority by blocking Obama from appointing a justice, then presiding over the confirmation of three of Trump’s appointees.
McConnell opted not to stand again as Senate leader, but holds his seat through 2026.
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More details soon…