Democrats are searching for whatever silver lining may present itself fresh off the GOP securing a clean sweep of Congress and the White House.
One has materialized with Republicans’ selection of Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) as the next majority leader.
The pragmatic conservative is someone who Democrats say can keep bipartisanship alive in a Washington under one-party control. He is taking over from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), whose institutional streak meant the two parties periodically struck deals and kept the government open.
“I think John Thune would be a good leader. I think he’s somebody who has good relationships across the aisle and obviously respected by his colleagues,” said retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the third-ranking Senate Democrat. “We’ve worked together on the Agriculture Committee, and he’s been somebody good to work with.”
A Senate Democratic aide offered a similar assessment. “My hope is that Thune could be Paul Ryan 2.0, essentially an adult in the room,” the aide said, referring to the former Republican speaker of the House.
Of the 53 Republicans who will be in the Senate come Jan. 3, Thune received 29 votes on the second ballot on Wednesday. Former GOP Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) came in a close second with 24, and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) was eliminated in the first round after receiving the fewest votes.
Each of the candidates had signaled a break in McConnell’s leadership style, promising more member input and a return to regular order, but Thune was viewed as the candidate most aligned with McConnell and had a slight advantage as his deputy.
“Our politics are different, but I think he’s a serious man,” said Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). “I do think of all the potential choices, I think that seems like one that’s most compatible with a leader that’s going to want to work with our caucus.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, recalled fondly his work with Thune on bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok in the U.S. last year, calling him a “very decent guy.”
But the compliments from across the aisle also came with an asterisk, as is common in Washington’s bitterly divided political landscape: Thune is still a conservative who will be under pressure to take cues from President-elect Donald Trump.
“He obviously has been somebody we’ve relied on to help manage the Senate in the last few years,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said of Thune. “I just think the question is whether there’s going to be any independence from the White House or whether they’re just going to be taking marching orders. I’m hopeful, but we’ll see what kind of grip Trump has on this place.”
Fetterman said the will of Trump will undoubtedly be felt in the upper chamber, no matter the Republican leader.
“There’s someone that’s going to ultimately be in charge in another sense, and that’s Trump,” Fetterman said. “His will definitely be projected on and imposed on the Senate.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) emphasized that “bipartisan cooperation is vital” to accomplish year-end priorities like funding the government and avoiding a shutdown next month, as well as passing emergency aid for recent natural disasters across the southeast United States. Senate Democrats won’t hold their leadership elections until next month, but Schumer is uncontested as party leader.
“Sen. Thune and I have done lots of things together in a bipartisan way here in the Senate. I’m very hopeful that will continue,” Schumer told reporters. “I strongly believe that bipartisanship is the best and often the only way to get things done around here in the Senate.”
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Thune, emerging from the hourslong secret ballot vote with his new leadership team assembled, declared it a “new day in America” on Wednesday. He restated his commitment to advancing Trump’s agenda, calling the election a mandate.
“The American people have loudly rejected the failed policies of the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda,” Thune said. “We have a mandate from the American people. A mandate not only to clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, but also to deliver on President Trump’s priorities.”
Samantha-Jo Roth contributed to this report.
