The Archive

BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN
WITH MAX COHEN AND CHRISTIAN HALL

Senate Minority Whip John Thune announced Saturday that he will run for reelection in November, ending months of speculation over the South Dakota Republican’s political future.

Thune is running in a deep red state, so his reelection has never been an issue, despite criticism from former President Donald Trump. Thune publicly acknowledged that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, which angered Trump.

The real issue here is what Thune’s announcement means for the Senate GOP, both this cycle and down the road. 

Thune, along with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) – who we’ve dubbed the “3 Johns” – are all in line to one day replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. That’s several years away at least, but it’s clear that one of these three will be the next Senate Republican leader at some point. Thune openly acknowledged to us that his decision to run again would be based in part on whether he can one day be McConnell’s successor.

Here’s Thune’s statement:

“South Dakota is the best state in the nation in which to live, work, and raise a family, and I’ve been continually humbled by the support and trust its people have afforded me over the years. Each time I’ve asked South Dakotans for the opportunity to represent them in Congress, I’ve done so because of a fundamental desire to do whatever I could to make their lives – and our way of life – safer, stronger, and more prosperous. I’ve always promised that I would do the work, even when it was uncomfortable or unpopular. That work continues, which is why after careful consideration and prayer, and with the support of my family, I’m asking South Dakotans for the opportunity to continue serving them in the U.S. Senate. South Dakota deserves a strong and effective senator who can deliver the results they expect. I am uniquely positioned to get this done, and I look forward to earning the support of all South Dakotans in the 2022 election for the U.S. Senate.”

Thune’s announcement leaves Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson as the only Republican incumbent who has yet to announce whether he’s running again. A Johnson announcement could come as soon as next week. Media reports suggest Johnson will seek a third term in what will be one of the most closely contested races this cycle.

Thune’s decision also may spill out into other races as well. Senate Republicans want Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, for instance. Having Thune running again could give Ducey – who also has been criticized by Trump over the 2020 election – more impetus to run.

“John Thune has served South Dakotans with humble strength since his very first day in the Capitol, and the NRSC is proud to endorse his 2022 reelection,” NRSC Chair Rick Scott (Fla.) said in a statement endorsing Thune’s candidacy. “South Dakotans are lucky to have a conservative fighter like John Thune working for them in the Senate.”

Thune was first elected to the House in 1996. In 2002, he ran for the Senate but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Tim Johnson. Thune then found himself out of Congress.

But in 2004, Thune challenged then Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and pulled off a huge win. No Senate leader in either party had lost a reelection bid in decades, so Thune’s reputation was made as a giant killer.

Thune thought about running for president in later cycles, but he opted not to do so. Now Thune will have to deal with being a leader in a party dominated by Trump and his acolytes, both in and out of the Senate.