John Thune’s approach to the midterms is a shaping up to be a mix of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell.
In an interview previewing his 2026 strategy, the South Dakota Republican told POLITICO that he’s already “coordinating closely” with Trump, including giving recommendations on potential candidates.
The majority leader’s goal is to make sure that the Senate GOP campaign wing is “rolling in the same direction” as Trump and Trump’s political arm.
But Thune said he’s willing to intervene in contested GOP primaries where he thinks a candidate would be doomed in the general election — an old McConnell tactic that sometimes annoyed others in the party.
“We’re all about preserving and protecting and expanding our majority,” Thune said. “So we want the best candidates on the field.”
Thune has three states so far where GOP senators are retiring: Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina. Each is likely to have a competitive primary that pits factions of the party against each other.
In North Carolina, Thune said in Wednesday’s interview that he had spoken with Lara Trump about the seat being vacated by GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. Thune said the president’s daughter-in-law “would be great” before dropping the caveat, “if she were to decide to do it.” Thune hinted we could hear more soon. Four GOP senators granted anonymity to speak candidly said Wednesday evening they didn’t expect her to jump in. On Thursday, POLITICO broke the news that Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley was entering the race and that Lara Trump had opted out.
Thune’s potential primary problems aren’t limited to seats where Republicans are retiring. They’re facing a likely jam-packed primary field in Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp passed on challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, whose own party is bullish about keeping his seat. Thune said he believes the state is a “real pick-up opportunity” but that Republicans “need a good candidate.”
Thune also has work to do in Iowa, with some of his members concerned that GOP Sen. Joni Ernst might retire. Thune believes she’ll run, and in the meantime has “encouraged her to, and told her we’ll do everything we can to help her” if she does.
Then there’s Texas. Thune said it “remains to be seen” if Trump will get behind Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing off against MAGA favorite Ken Paxton. Thune said Trump “wants to see how the race plays out.”
The majority leader said he believes Cornyn would be “by far the best general election candidate.”
Asked about Paxton’s recently-announced divorce — with his wife citing “biblical” reasons for the breakup — Thune said voters will realize “there’s a real contrast between these candidates, both in terms of experience and accomplishment, but also I think that those character issues are always a factor.”
That’s not all Thune told us. He made news on Mike Johnson and Jeffrey Epstein, his CR strategy and more that POLITICO Pro readers got in an exclusive Q&A.
What else we’re watching:
— About that shutdown deadline: Thune said Congress will need to pass a short-term funding bill to prevent a shutdown in October. His plan is to get signed into law as many of the 12 appropriations bills as possible, then use the patch to fund the rest of the government.
— Epstein issue poised to resurface: Speaker Mike Johnson has been putting out fires in his conference related to the Jeffrey Epstein files and sent the House home early for recess. Some of his members have warned that they’ll try to force votes upon their return if the administration doesn’t deliver more documents.
— Cooper watch: Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to announce a campaign for Senate as soon as Monday, according to two people familiar with his decision. The announcement would be enthusiastically welcomed by state and national Democrats as North Carolina represents one of the few offensive opportunities for the party.
Meredith Lee Hill and Elena Schneider contributed to this report.
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