John Thune officially announces Senate leadership bid

South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune on Monday confirmed his expected run for Senate leadership in the wake of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announcing he would step down in November.

McConnell has indicated that will complete his Senate term, which ends in 2027. His announcement came amid mounting internal frustrations within the conference over his handling of border and budget issues.

"Well, I hope to be, and I’m going to do everything I can to convince my colleagues," he told KELO-TV, when asked if he plans to become Senate leader. "They're the voters. They're the ones who ultimately make the decision."

"But that as we look at a new generation of consistent, principled, conservative leadership in the United States Senate that empowers our Senate Republicans, that puts a check and balanced against the Schumer, what has been a very liberal Schumer/Biden agenda, I’m prepared to lead that effort," he added.

Thune, for his part, is one of the so-called "Three Johns" that have served as McConnell's de facto aides-de-camp in recent years. Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn is also seeking the top job while Wyoming GOP Sen. John Barrasso is reportedly deciding between seeking the top job or running for party whip, according to Politico.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.