The candidates are Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
WASHINGTON—The Senate GOP is scheduled to select its leader on Nov. 13 and therefore the next majority leader of the upper congressional chamber.
The candidates are Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
Below are three things to know about each candidate.
Thune
1. Basketball Got Him Into Politics
In a
video posted to the social media platform X in March, Thune, 63, recalls getting into politics thanks to his high school basketball days.
He played as a freshman on the varsity team at Jones County High School in Murdo, South Dakota.
After a basketball game in 1976, he was at a department store when someone tapped him on the shoulder and reminded him that he had missed one of the six free throws he attempted. The person was Rep. Jim Abdnor (R-S.D.).
“He kind of started following my sports career. I started paying more attention to politics. And when I got out of grad school, I get a call from his office,” Thune said. “And by then he’s in the Senate and offering me a job out here, so my wife and I were like ‘Eh, we’ll do this for a year or two.'”
He ended up working for him for four-and-a-half years.
2. He Has Been in the Senate for Almost 2 Decades
Thune has been in the Senate since 2005 after upsetting Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) in the 2004 election. In addition to being Senate minority whip, he has served as chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, which sets out the agenda for the conference; chair of the Senate Republican Conference; and Senate majority whip.Between 2015 and 2019, he was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Before the Senate, Thune was in the House, representing South Dakota’s at-large district between 1997 and 2003.
3. Lost First Senate Race by Just Over 500 Votes
Thune ran for Senate in 2002 but lost to incumbent Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) by just 524 votes. Johnson died in October.“Known for his tenacity and work ethic, Tim was a steadfast leader who dedicated his life to serving the people of South Dakota with integrity and compassion,” said Thune in an Oct. 9
statement. “He fought tirelessly for rural America and leaves a legacy that will have a lasting impact for years to come.”
Cornyn
4. Longest-Serving Member of All the Candidates
Cornyn has been in the Senate since 2002 after replacing Sen. Phill Gramm (R-Texas) who declined to seek a fourth term in 2002.
During his time in the Senate, Cornyn has been Senate minority whip and Senate majority whip. He has also served as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Narcotics Caucus.
5. Law Enforcement Background
Before arriving in Congress, Cornyn served as the attorney general of Texas from 1999 to 2002.Over a span of 12 years, he served as a judge on a Texas judicial district court and as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court.
6. Led the Senate GOP Campaign, Finance Arm
Under his tenure as the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP campaign and finance arm, Cornyn’s party gained six seats in the 2010 election. The Democrats maintained control of the chamber as they went from having 57 seats to 51 seats.Scott
7. Florida Governor
Scott was governor of the Sunshine State between 2011 and 2019.He signed legislation to require drug testing for those on welfare, enacted school choice, and raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21. This was in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others.
8. One of the Wealthiest Members of Congress
With a net worth of more than $259 million,
according to Open Secrets, Scott is one of the wealthiest members of Congress.
His business background includes running a company, Columbia Hospital Corporation, and owning hospitals.
9. Led the Senate GOP Campaign, Finance Arm
Scott, who was first elected in 2018 and won re-election this month, led the NRSC from 2021 to 2023. During his tenure, the GOP lost a seat in the 2022 midterms, failing to retake the Senate despite needing to flip only one seat to regain control of the chamber.
