South Dakota political candidates are revving into full campaign with one big exception – Republican U-S Senator John Thune.
He had planned to announce a reelection decision over the holidays, but didn’t and has given no indication he is any closer to a decision on running or retiring.
Thune’s #3 in the GOP leadership and is a likely pick to be the next Senate leader if Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell steps down or leaves before 2028.
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If Thune retires, it could upend national Republican politics and create a scramble within the South Dakota Republican Party to fill the void.
Thune was a 3-term Congressman when he beat then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.