Senator John Thune (R-SD) was elected Senate Majority Leader on Wednesday, taking over from Senate Republican boss Mitch McConnell (R-KY). McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history, announced that he would step down at the beginning of this year. 

Also running for the position were Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Cornyn (R-TX). Scott, widely considered the most populist-aligned of the trio, failed to make it past the first ballot, and Thune was elected with a majority of 29 votes on the second ballot.

Thune is a sometime Trump critic, having issued a sharp condemnation of the president for his actions on January 6, although he voted against impeachment in the Senate trial that followed. His selection may be evidence for a Republican Senate that continues to act relatively independently from the rest of the party.

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