John Thune

**John Randolph Thune** (born January 7, 1961) is an American politician. Thune is the senior United States Senator from South Dakota and a member of the Republican Party. He used to be a United States Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district. In 2025, he became the Senate Majority Leader.

Thune was born on January 7, 1961 in Pierre, South Dakota. He is of Norwegian descent. Thune studied at Biola University and at the University of South Dakota. He has been married to Kimberley Weems since 1984. They have two children.

Thune was selected by the Senate Republican Conference to become the Majority Whip for the 116th Congress, replacing Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who was term limited in the position. In 2021, he became Senate Minority Whip.

In 2024, Thune was elected to be the Senate Republican leader, replacing Mitch McConnell. Thune is the first Senate party leader to have originally taken office as a senator in the 21st century.

## Other websites

- United States Senator John Thune _official U.S. Senate site_
- Friends of John Thune _official campaign site_
- www.amazon.com
- Profile  from SourceWatch
- Representative-Elect John Thune (R-SD) profile from CNN, 1996

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: John Thune
- **image**: John Thune 117th Congress portrait.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2021
- **office**: Party leaders of the United States Senate, Senate Majority Leader
- **1blankname**: Whip
- **1namedata**: John Barrasso
- **term start**: January 3, 2025
- **predecessor**: Chuck Schumer
- **office1**: Leader of the Senate Republican Conference
- **term start1**: January 3, 2025
- **predecessor1**: Mitch McConnell
- **office2**: Party leaders of the United States Senate, Senate Minority Whip
- **leader2**: Mitch McConnell
- **term start2**: January 20, 2021
- **term end2**: January 3, 2025
- **predecessor2**: Dick Durbin
- **successor2**: Dick Durbin
- **office3**: Party leaders of the United States Senate, Senate Majority Whip
- **leader3**: Mitch McConnell
- **term start3**: January 3, 2019
- **term end3**: January 20, 2021
- **predecessor3**: John Cornyn
- **successor3**: Dick Durbin
- **office4**: Chair of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Senate Commerce Committee
- **term start4**: January 3, 2015
- **term end4**: January 3, 2019
- **predecessor4**: Jay Rockefeller
- **successor4**: Roger Wicker
- **office5**: Senate Republican Conference, Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
- **leader5**: Mitch McConnell
- **1blankname5**: Vice Chair
- **1namedata5**: Roy Blunt
- **term start5**: January 26, 2012
- **term end5**: January 3, 2019
- **predecessor5**: Lamar Alexander
- **successor5**: John Barrasso
- **office6**: Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee
- **leader6**: Mitch McConnell
- **term start6**: June 17, 2009
- **term end6**: January 26, 2012
- **predecessor6**: John Ensign
- **successor6**: John Barrasso
- **jr/sr7**: United States Senator
- **state7**: South Dakota
- **alongside7**: Mike Rounds
- **term start7**: January 3, 2005
- **predecessor7**: Tom Daschle
- **state8**: South Dakota
- **term start8**: January 3, 1997
- **term end8**: January 3, 2003
- **predecessor8**: Tim Johnson (South Dakota politician), Tim Johnson
- **successor8**: Bill Janklow
- **birth name**: John Randolph Thune
- **birth place**: Pierre, South Dakota, U.S.
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
- **children**: 2
- **education**: Biola University (Bachelor of Arts, BA)
University of South Dakota (Master of Business Administration, MBA)
- **signature**: JohnThuneSignature-01.svg