President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Sen. John Thune on winning election to the role of Senate majority leader, declaring that the lawmaker "will do an outstanding job."

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell announced he would step down from his leadership post earlier this year, ending his historic run.

WASHINGTON—Republican senators chose John Thune of South Dakota as their first new leader in nearly two decades, opting for continuity over calls for radical change heading into populist President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.