U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) was elected Senate Majority Leader after the second vote Wednesday following the GOP’s retaking of the chamber and the retirement of longtime Leader Mitch McConnell from the top role. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) placed third in the first vote, setting up a runoff between Thune and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
“I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House,” Thune said after being elected. “This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today.”
U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) said they voted for Scott initially. After the vote, Scott thanked Britt for her support in the initial round.
“Following that forum and the multiple conversations I’ve had recently with each of the candidates, I cast my vote for Senator Rick Scott on the first ballot,” Britt said. “Throughout this process, I proudly kept my promise to put Alabama’s values, people, and priorities first. Now, it’s time to rally behind Senator Thune, come together as unified Senate Republicans, and hit the ground running to advance President Trump’s agenda and deliver real results for the American people.”
Thank you, @SenKatieBritt! Let’s get President Trump’s agenda done! https://t.co/sPFFoP2Yu8
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) November 13, 2024
Tuberville formally endorsed Scott this week, saying his commitment to the America First agenda aligned with the nation’s mandate for change in the 2024 election.
“Today, we also elected a new Senate Republican leader for the first time in 19 years. For the last few weeks, Senators Thune, Cornyn and Scott have all been meeting with members of our conference to sell us on why they are the man for the job. I met with all three of them personally several times and shared my hopes for our party moving forward,” Sen. Tuberville told Alabama media outlets after the vote.
RELATED: Tuberville says he’s running for re-election to U.S. Senate in 2026
“As most of you know, I endorsed Senator Rick Scott of Florida earlier this week. While I count all three senators friends, I appreciate Senator Scott’s business and military background. He’s not a career politician — and that’s why I felt he was best for the job. However, this morning, today, in our meeting, our republican conference, voted to make Senator John Thune of South Dakota our new leader. During my meeting with Senator Thune, I shared with him the importance of united behind President Trump’s agenda. The American people sent a clear mandate last week. They want President Trump’s America first agenda, and they want it now.”
“We as a party need to do our part to help President Trump pass his priorities through Congress, I look forward to working with the new leader, Thune and President Trump, to deliver wins for the American people, and continuing to advocate for issues important to everyone in Alabama.” Tuberville said.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.