The Road to D.C.

 

2004 Election

In 2004, John Thune challenged Democratic Incumbent Tom Daschle for a seat in the United States Senate. John Thune had the support of many Conservative Christians alongside President George W. Bush which helped him beat Daschle. Daschle had led the Senate Democrats for ten years and his loss shocked the party.  The race was one of the most expensive races where both candidates combined raised more than $30 million dollars for their campaigns. This election was also historic because it was the first time since 1952 that a Senate leader had lost their reelection bid. 

2010 Election

In 2010, Thune ran unopposed which enabled him to travel across the country to help other Republicans with their campaign. One of the candidates Thune helped campaign for was Kristi Noem who was running for U.S. House Representative against Incumbent Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. This election was also significant for Thune because it made him the 6th Senator to run opposed since 1914.

2016 Election

In 2016, John Thune ran for a third term and was challenged by Democrat Jay Williams. Thune won with 71.8% of the votes and Williams received 28.2%. During the 2016 Election, there were also rumors that Thune was a potential vice presidential nominee. However, Thune dismissed these rumors saying he had not been made aware of this hypothetical nomination. It was smart of Thune to dismiss these rumors as it could have turned potential voters to support his opponent instead.


2022 Election



John Thune is now the Minority Whip and has recently announced that he will be seeking out his fourth term. His statement shows his connection to his home state and reinforces the idea of homestyle as he vows to continue to do whatever he can to help South Dakotans. Thune had previously told his associates that he was considering retirement because of the strain congressional work puts on his life and his fears about former President Trump's role in the Republican Party. Trump had previously called for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to run against Thune after Thune rejected Trump's claims regarding the 2016 Presidential Election. Noem rejected Trump's tweet and shared her support for Thune. Trump's tweet could potentially harm Thune's reelection campaign because Trump won electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election. However, Thune's stance against Trump could also benefit him as Trump was a controversial president. 


Thune will face competition this election cycle with the following Republican Candidates: Mark Mowry, Bruce Whalen Sr., and Patrick William Mr. Sr. Schubert. If Thune wins during the primary he will then face Democrat Candidate Brian Bengs.  As of December 31, 2021, Thune has raised $8,125,664.82 for his campaign. Despite Thune's trouble with Trump and the fact that he has several opponents, Thune is still likely to win his reelection bid as South Dakota is still a Red State and he has the incumbent advantage. Thune's campaign website offers little notion as to which issues he hopes to tackle if reelected. However, potential voters can see Thune's stance on issues regarding agriculture, guns, national security, and protecting life on his official U.S. Senator website.











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Who is John Thune?

Image
 All About John Thune: Age : 61 years old Hometown: Murdo, South Dakota; currently resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Education : He has his master's degree in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota.  Family : John Thune and his wife Kimberely have two daughters and five grandchildren.  Religious Affiliation : Protestant  Tenure in the Senate John Thune was first elected into the United States Senate in 2004. Thune beat out a sitting Party Leader which had not happened in 52 years.  In 2010, John Thune ran for reelection unopposed which made Thune the first senator from South Dakota to run opposed since the adoption of direct elections in 1913. Thune would be reelected for a third term in 2016.  Senator Thune is currently serving as the Minority Whip and seeking reelection for his fourth term. Throughout his tenure,Thune has worked with interest groups such as Campaign for Working Families, Center for Security Policy, and National ...
Read more

Time To Get Reelected

Image
      Advertising      John Thune will be seeking his fourth term as Senator in 2022. Running for reelection can be a difficult task. One of the ways Thune is trying to gain support from his constituents is by frequently visiting South Dakota Businesses. Thune's Twitter account shows him visiting several businesses such as Dakota Panel, Dakota Plains Ag Center, and Taco Johns. Thune also posts about visiting with local governments including the Oglala Sioux Tribe Council Land Committee.  Thune's visits to South Dakota allows him to show his constituents that he is still focused on finding solutions for South Dakota's problems. The decision to post about his visits to South Dakota helps Thune's campaign as it is an effective way of advertising. The use of social media for advertising is effective because it allows Thune to be able to present himself in an ideal manner that will encourage voters to reelect him. Position-Taking     Another tact...
Read more