GOP Sen. John Thune of South Dakota says he'll seek 4th term

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Republican person successful the Senate, announced Saturday helium is seeking reelection to a 4th word successful 2022.

Thune, who turned 61 connected Friday, has mulled retiring from the Senate for months. But helium has a wide way to reelection successful reliably-red South Dakota adjacent aft helium drew the ire of then-President Donald Trump precocious successful 2020 for speaking retired against his effort to overturn the results of the statesmanlike election. Since then, Thune has offered restrained disapproval of Trump’s governmental imitators astatine times, but mostly focused connected scuttling the Democrats’ plans.

“I’ve ever promised that I would bash the work, adjacent erstwhile it was hard, uncomfortable, oregon unpopular," Thune said successful a connection connected Twitter. "That enactment continues, which is wherefore aft cautious information and prayer, and with the enactment of my family, I’m asking South Dakotans for the accidental to proceed serving them successful the U.S. Senate.”

Ad

Both parties are warring for power of a intimately divided Senate successful 2022.

Thune is simply a apt successor to Sen. Mitch McConnell arsenic the person of the GOP’s Senate caucus. As Thune considered retiring, almighty Republicans, from McConnell to Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, urged him to question different six-year term.

Graham said Saturday on Twitter that Thune's determination is “good quality for each those who admit applicable and beardown blimpish leadership.”

Thune successful 2016 carried South Dakota by astir 72% of the vote, but Trump’s proposition successful 2020 that helium should look a superior challenger emboldened immoderate Republicans who argued helium had not shown capable loyalty to the erstwhile president. A fistful of little-known Republicans person said they would situation Thune.

Ad

Thune’s prime signals a willingness to defy Trump, whose clout has often forced different antecedently politically unafraid Republicans to permission Congress. Elected Republicans who person antecedently crossed Trump and subsequently retired see erstwhile Republican Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee.

Two of the 10 existent House Republicans who voted past January to impeach Trump aft helium goaded supporters to onslaught the Capitol person besides decided to permission office: Reps. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. In addition, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from her House GOP enactment occupation and astatine slightest 2 others look Trump-backed superior challengers.

Should Thune prevail successful a superior oregon if Trump fails to find a credible rival to reason him, Trump risks being seen arsenic having diminished sway wrong the party.

Thune, who is South Dakota’s elder GOP statesman, has served successful Congress for 22 years and ushered successful a play of Republican dominance implicit authorities politics. However, helium had openly expressed hesitation astir moving for different term, calling it a “family decision” arsenic helium mulled it implicit successful caller months.

Ad

Democrats seized connected Thune's hesitation, pointing retired that Brian Bengs, a subject seasoned and lawyer from Aberdeen, had already jumped into the contention successful November.

“South Dakotans merit a U.S. Senator who really wants the occupation and volition present connected important issues similar healthcare, education, and good-paying jobs, and that’s wherefore it is truthful important to elite a Democrat,” Randy Seiler, the authorities Democratic Party's chair, said successful a statement.

Thune has $14.8 cardinal successful run cash, according to the astir caller national report.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed from Washington.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.