John Thune faces a defining midterm test as Republicans fight to keep Senate control

A tougher Senate campaign

In Sioux City, Iowa, Thune appeared with Rep. Ashley Hinson less than a day after President Trump held a rally nearby. Asked how she balances loyalty to Trump with disagreement over his policies, Hinson said she would support him when she agreed and act as a “thorn in his side” when she did not.

The election is a test of that approach, as Republicans face a more perilous Senate map amid the Iran war and high gas prices. Thune pointed to the election’s final stretch, including campaign messaging and voter outreach, as important factors.

Thune’s record in the Senate

Under Thune, the Senate approved Trump’s tax, border security and defense agenda, including through several overnight voting sessions. The chamber also passed bipartisan measures on housing, stablecoins, revenge porn and fentanyl.

Most Republican senators have opposed Democratic efforts to limit the president’s war powers since the conflict began in February, despite growing concern about the war and energy prices. That stance is now part of the campaign debate.

A path into politics

Thune has described his upbringing as shaping his endurance. His father, Harold, was a World War II veteran who worked as a teacher, coach, athletic director and school bus driver; a high school auditorium now bears his name.

Basketball also figured in Thune’s early life. After he missed one of six free throws, then-Congressman Jim Abdnor joked, “I noticed you missed one,” beginning a mentorship that continued for decades. Thune later played at Biola University and worked in Abdnor’s Senate office.

From state politics to Washington

Thune served in the Small Business Administration under Ronald Reagan before returning to South Dakota. He led the state Republican Party, served as railroad director and headed the state’s municipal league. In 1996, he won the first of three terms as South Dakota’s at-large House representative. He later recalled a hard-fought campaign against Tom Daschle, which he called “a war.”