Sen. John Thune said Sunday that he would not seek the job as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a position seen as a springboard to the upper echelon of GOP Senate leadership. Thune confirmed in an interview with the Journal late Sunday afternoon that he had told Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, on Thursday that he would not run for the committee chairman’s spot.
Probably not a bad decision. Trying to achieve success with that job may be tough for the next couple of election cycles.
Thune hopes to attend some of those events while continuing his trips back to South Dakota on weekends to be with his family, make public appearances and meet with constituents. Added to a full work week in the Senate, that schedule wouldn’t offer much room for fundraising duties and campaign trips for other GOP candidates, Thune said.
But Thune said his decision now doesn’t mean he has given up aspirations for a leadership position. “This would have been one way to get on that track, but there are other ways, too,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be something down the road. We’ll see.”