John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, will run for reelection to a fourth term

GOP leaders launched an all-out offensive to keep John Thune in the legislative body after he decided to run for reelection.

The senator asked South Dakotans to continue serving in the Senate. South Dakota needs a strong and effective senator who can deliver. I look forward to getting the support of all South Dakotans in the election for US Senate in 2022, because I am uniquely positioned to get that job done.

According to The New York Times, the senator in recent months informed associates that he was considering retirement, pointing to the commitments that come with congressional service and privately voiced reservations with former President Donald Trump's continued stranglehold over the GOP.

Despite Republican optimism about the November elections, the influence of Trump was still a factor in his decision to seek reelection, according to The Times.
When Trump demanded that party members back his claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election, he was critical of efforts by a group of House conservatives to acquiesce to such demands.

It's not going anywhere, that's the thing they have to remember. It would go down in the Senate. I don't think it makes sense to put everyone through this when you know what the final outcome is going to be, said the senator at the time.

Trump referred to Thune as a "RINO", or Republican in name only, a derogatory term for members of the party who aren't considered to be true conservatives.

"Mitch's boy, John Thune, should just let it play out." South Dakota doesn't like weakness. He will be out of politics in 2022. The account was permanently disabled after the January 6 insurrection.

According to The Times, McConnell had worked hard to keep the senator in the upper chamber.

When he narrowly defeated Tom Daschle in 2004, John Thune gained national attention and was seen as a natural successor to McConnell.
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