SOUTH DAKOTA SD (KELO) -- Friday marks the beginning of the 119th Congress where Republican Sen. John Thune is to be officially recognized as the Majority Leader of the Senate. Thune is expected to give remarks in the afternoon when the senate convenes at 12 p.m. Loss of SDSU coach impacts transfers He will join the other newly and re-elected senators, who will all be sworn in. Thune replaces Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is the longest serving Senate party leader. Thune was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Before that he served three terms in the U.S. House from 1996 to 2002.