On Wednesday, Republicans elected on a second ballot Senator John Thune of South Dakota to serve as the majority leader in the 119th Congress – a vote that marks the official changing of the guard as Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky steps down from his long-tenured role.
It was back in 2004 when John Thune upset Tom Daschle, the United States Senate Minority Leader.
After having lost in his bid for a Senate seat by just 524 votes in 2002, Thune’s 4,508-vote majority was slim – but good enough to join the upper chamber.
With its 100 members and tremendous political power, the United States Senate plays a pivotal role in American democracy.
The story is told of Thomas Jefferson meeting with George Washington over breakfast after the author of the Declaration of Independence returned from France. Jefferson disagreed with the creation of the United States Senate, thinking it redundant and unnecessary given the House of Representatives.
“Why,” asked Washington, “did you just now pour that coffee into your saucer, before drinking?”
“To cool it,” Jefferson answered. “My throat is not made of brass.”
“Even so,” replied Washington, “We pour our legislation into the senatorial saucer to cool it.”
It remains to be seen how much cooling Senate Majority Leader-elect Thune’s leadership will have on the fire and heat across Capitol Hill, but it might be helpful to know or be reminded about the life of the South Dakota senator and even better in his own words.
Born in Pierre, South Dakota’s capital city, Thune’s grandfather owned a few hardware stores. His father was a World War II pilot who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross commendation.
In high school, John played football and basketball, and also ran track. He graduated college from Biola University and received a MBA from the University of South Dakota. Thankfully for John, his parents accepted Christ, though later in their lives – a turn that positively impacted him.
“They were in their 30s, but a friend of my dad’s from high school got them involved in a Bible study,” he said. “They were having some struggles in their marriage and their lives — and they found the Lord that way.”
On His Own Faith Journey
“At an early age, I made a profession of faith in Christ, and that’s been the foundation for pretty much everything I do.”
On His Daily Faith Routine:
“Starting off the day in prayer is critical to every day. In a lot of cases, it’s asking for wisdom. This is a job where there are a lot of things coming at you and being able to discern what’s true from what’s false, knowing right and wrong, and asking for the Lord’s guidance on that.”
“Before you get up and get on that iPhone, do something that is good for your soul. Get into the Word or spend some time in prayer and solitude and meditation.”
On the Stress and Strain of His Life in Washington, D.C.
“There’s so much noise. Satan uses noise. There’s a Corrie Ten Boom line: ‘If he can’t tempt you, he’ll distract you.’ He’ll get you going in all kinds of directions.”
On Prioritizing the Most Important Things in Life
“You can’t do everything. You can’t be everything to everybody. And you’re not going to make people happy all the time.”
“It says in James 1:5 [that] if any man asks for wisdom, God will give it to him.”
On Being Public with His Faith
“I’m grateful that we still start the Senate each day with prayer.”
“We need to be able to see past differences and focus on the person, and realize we all need Jesus. We all need more of His grace and mercy on a daily basis.”
“God wants us to be out there being salt and light in the culture.”
His Thoughts on Leadership
“I want to be a hopeful, optimistic leader, a leader who’s willing to do hard things, make hard decisions, and a leader who comes with strong convictions and doesn’t shy away from or back down from a fight but at the same time understands that this is a country that’s a democracy, and there are going to be a lot of people at different points of view.”
“At the end, you have to try and figure out how to get solutions and results for the American people. That doesn’t mean you’re always going to get everything you want.”
John Thune, his wife, Kimberley, and their two daughters and five grandchildren, would appreciate our prayers.
Image credit: John Thune / X
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