John Thune is an American politician who has been elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He will begin representing South Dakota in the following year. Thune was born on January 7, 1961, in Pierre, South Dakota, and met U.S. Rep. Jim Abdnor in high school, sparking his interest in politics. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Biola University and an M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota. Thune worked as an aide to Abdnor in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s before returning to South Dakota to work in various roles in state government.
Thune was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and served until 2003. He then ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and defeated Democratic incumbent Tim Johnson in a close race. Thune has been known as a conservative Republican, particularly focusing on energy issues and renewable energy. He has introduced legislation to limit the power of the Environmental Protection Agency and repeal the federal estate tax. Thune also sought to restrict abortion rights and opposed same-sex marriage.
In 2024, Thune was elected Senate majority leader, with his tenure set to begin the following year. Throughout his career, Thune has shown a commitment to conservative values and principles in his policymaking. He is married to Kimberley Weems and has two children. Thune’s rise in politics from a young age has led him to become a prominent figure in the Republican Party and the U.S. Senate.
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