John Thune | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Senate Minority Whip | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | Dick Durbin |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | John Cornyn |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jay Rockefeller |
| Succeeded by | Roger Wicker |
| Chair of the Senate Republican Conference | |
| In office January 26, 2012 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Vice Chair | Roy Blunt |
| Preceded by | Lamar Alexander |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 26, 2012 | |
| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | John Ensign |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| United States Senator from South Dakota | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 Serving with Mike Rounds | |
| Preceded by | Tom Daschle |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Bill Janklow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Randolph Thune January 7, 1961 Pierre, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Kimberley Weems (m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Biola University (BA) University of South Dakota (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
John Randolph Thune (/ˈθuːn/ THOON; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005. Thune is in his fourth Senate term and is the Senate minority whip, a post he has held since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Thune served three terms as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1997 to 2003.
Thune has worked in politics and civic organizations since completing his MBA degree. He first ran for U.S. Senate in 2002, losing to incumbent Senator Tim Johnson. In 2004, he defeated Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. In the Senate, Thune served as the Republican chief deputy whip from 2007 to 2009 and chaired the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009 to 2012. He served as the Senate Republican Conference chair, the third-ranking position in the Senate, from 2012 to 2019.
The Senate Republican Conference selected Thune as majority whip for the 116th Congress; he succeeded Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who was term-limited in the position. In 2020, he was chosen as minority whip for the 117th Congress.