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John ThuneREPRepublican United States Senator
63
Years of Age
23
Years of Experience
SDResidence (state)

John Randolph Thune (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 is known for his defeat of sitting Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. In the U.S. 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.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

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Special Interest Group Ratings

Interest Groups That SUPPORT
Rating
Interest Groups That OPPOSE
Rating
Average Score

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0 / 30

Campaign Funding

20
18
$10,467,075
Total Raised
$7,338,864
Total Spent
$11,590,320
Cash on Hand
Top Industries  (1 - 4 of 10) View All Industries
99%
Retired$643,505
79%
Securities & Investment$516,450
67%
Lobbyists$435,962
52%
Real Estate$337,793
51%
Insurance$332,377
45%
Lawyers/Law Firms$292,386
43%
Leadership PACs$282,115
38%
Health Professionals$250,192
37%
Air Transport$239,540
36%
Telecom Services$234,950
Direct campaign contributions grouped by the industry industry of each donor/PAC.

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education5 - 5 of 3
University of South Dakota
Master of Business Administration
1984
Biola University
Bachelor of Science business
1983
primary school
1979
Past Positions1 - 13 of 13
Minority Whip
United States Senate
2021 - Current
Majority Whip
United States Senate
2019 - 2021
Chair
Republican Conference, United States Senate
2012 - 2018
Chair
Republican Policy Committee, United States Senate
2009 - 2012
Vice-Chair
Republican Conference, United States Senate
2009
Senator
United States Senate, South Dakota
2005 - Current
Representative
United States House of Representatives, South Dakota
1997 - 2002
Former Republican Assistant Whip
United States House of Representatives
Director
South Dakota Municipal League
1993 - 1996
Director
State Railroad Division, South Dakota
1991 - 1993
Executive Director
South Dakota Republican Party
1989 - 1991
Congressional Aide
United States Senator Jim Abdnor
1985 - 1986
Staff
United States Small Business Administration
Other Experience1 - 51 of 51
Member
Senate Republican High Tech Task Force
Current
Member
Senate Republican Capital Markets Task Force
Current
Member
Senate Cancer Coalition
Current
Member
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
Current
Member
Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
Current
Member
Senate Task Force on Responsible Fatherhood
Current
Member
Senate Impact Aid Coalition
Current
Member
Senate Steering Committee on Telehealth and Healthcare Informatics
Current
Executive Director
South Dakota State Municipal League
Former Chief Deputy Whip
Republican Conference
Member
Board of Directors, National League of Cities
Member
Congressional Internet Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Anti-Terrorism Caucus
Current
Member
Senate National Guard Caucus
Current
Member
Bicameral Congressional Caucus on Parkinson's Disease
Current
Member
Congressional Border Security and Enforcement First Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Fire Service Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Anti-Methamphetamine Caucus
Current
Member
Bicameral Congressional Arthritis Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Farmer Cooperative Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Nursing Caucus
Current
Member
Air Force Caucus
Current
Member
Afterschool Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Friends of Norway Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Rural Education Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Community Pharmacy Caucus
Current
Member
Congressional Autism Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Biofuels Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Multiple Sclerosis Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Rural Health Caucus
Current
Member
Senate Western Caucus
Current
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, United States Senate
Former Chair
Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, United States Senate
Former Member
Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
Former Member
Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research, and Specialty Crops, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
Former Member
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, United States Senate
Former Member
Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security Subcommittee, United States Senate
Member
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
Member
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Member
Finance Committee
Ranking Member
Communications, Media, and Broadband Subcommittee, Commerce Committee
Ranking Member
Taxation and IRS Oversight Subcommittee, Finance Committee