Senator Rick Scott loses vote to become Senate Majority Leader
Nov 13, 2024
Florida Senator Rick Scott came up short in his second bid to be the Senate Majority Leader, losing to South Dakota Senator John Thune.Senator Scott didn't make it until the third round of voting. He wasn't able to best Texas Senator John Cornyn, or Thune.Thune, who is 63 and in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with Trump despite their differences over the years. He will be a crucial part of the incoming presidents efforts to implement his policy agenda.Republicans are replacing Kentucky's McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader, as they prepare to take majority control with the 53 seats they won in last weeks elections.Like McConnell, Thune comes from the Republican Partys more traditional wing. He has held the Republican whip positionthe No. 2 position in party leadershipsince 2019.At times, Thune has countered Trumps wishes for Congress, and he broke publicly with Trump over the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. But in recent months, Thune has realigned with Trump, and the two have been consulting on implementing the incoming presidents agenda.