Senate Republicans have elected their colleague from South Dakota, John Thune, as their new leader in the chamber.
The 63-year-old won a secret ballot on Wednesday, defeating Florida Senator Rick Scott and Texan Senator John Cornyn.
Scott, who was the preferred choice of Donald Trump’s most vocal allies in Congress, was eliminated in the first round.
The Republican Party won a 53-47 majority in the Senate last week, flipping control of the upper chamber of Congress.
It is the first time in 17 years that Republicans have chosen a new Senate leader. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in US history, will step down in January.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for more updates.
