Republicans pick John Thune to be Senate majority leader

Republicans appointed U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., as the next Senate majority leader in a secret ballot vote on Wednesday, according to a statement from Thune. Other Republicans in contention for the title were Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Who is Thune? Thune previously served as the Senate Republican Whip, the second-highest position within the Republicans’ Senate leadership. He served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently serving his fourth consecutive term in the U.S. Senate, according to his website. He has served in leadership positions on multiple Senate committees.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about how the winners of U.S. House races are now arriving in Washington.