Progressive priorities such as abortion rights, grocery tax repeal and legalized recreational marijuana were all defeated.

If Noem is confirmed by the Senate, she will be in charge of immigration enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune hailed his election as the next Senate Majority Leader Wednesday, vowing to work to enact Donald Trump's agenda and serve "the entire Republican conference" despite past differences with the president-elect.

Kristi Noem will be in charge of implementing Trump’s policies on immigration, including his pledge to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants, one of the key elements of the incoming president’s second term agenda.

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as that chamber’s next majority leader during a closed-door, secret ballot election. When Thune takes over in January, it will mark the first time since 2007 that Kentucky Sen.

President-elect Donald Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to head the Department of Homeland Security, as he zeroes in on border security.

Thune, who is 63 and in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump despite differences between the two over the years.

Like McConnell, Thune hails from the Republican Party’s traditional wing. He has held the Republican whip position since 2019.

Thune beat out two other competitors, Sens. John Cornyn and Rick Scott, by gaining majority support from GOP senators in a secret ballot vote.