Sen. John Thune, South Dakota Republican who drew Trump's ire, will seek a 4th term


Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate minority whip widely seen as a possible successor to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), announced Saturday that he plans to run for re-election in 2022.
McConnell was elected to his seventh Senate term in 2020. By the time that term comes to an end, he will be 84 years old. Thune turned 61 Friday.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Thune "drew the wrath of Donald Trump for pushing back on the former president's false claims that the election had been stolen from him," expressed concerns about Trump's continued hold on the Republican Party, and had considered retiring. The New York Times reported that his decision to seek a fourth term comes after "an aggressive lobbying campaign by colleagues prompted him to put aside concerns about the future of his party and pursue" re-election.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"South Dakota deserves a strong and effective senator who can deliver the results they expect," Thune tweeted. "I am uniquely positioned to get that job done."
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), a vocal supporter of Trump whom Trump encouraged to primary Thune in 2022, has declined to run. So far, three other Republicans are seeking the nomination, each attempting to position himself as the pro-Trump candidate.
Rancher Mark Mowry's campaign website describes Mowry as an "'America First' candidate" seeking the "removal of John Thune." Software executive Patrick Schubert's campaign runs a Facebook page called "Retire the RINO SD." Oglala Sioux tribal administrator Bruce Whalen says he was driven to seek the nomination when "Thune, on behalf of [former] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whipped votes against an audit of the election results."
Thune won his first Senate term in 2004 by a slim margin over then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D). In 2010, Thune was unopposed in both the primary and general elections, and in 2016, he defeated his Democratic opponent by more than 40 points.
Five other Republican senators — Richard Burr (N.C.), Pat Toomey (Penn.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Richard Shelby (Ala.), and Roy Blunt (Mo.) — have already announced that they intend to retire in 2022. Only one Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, has said the same.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination cases
speed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threats
speed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein