John Thune

John Randolph Thune ( born January 7, 1961 in Pierre, South Dakota) is an American politician ( Republican). Since 2005 he is a senator for the U.S. state of South Dakota.

Life

He attended the University of South Dakota, where he made an MBA (Master of Business Administration). Thune is married to Kimberley Thune; they have two daughters.

Political career

Thune worked for the former senator from South Dakota, James Abdnor. Under President Ronald Reagan Thune worked for the Small Business Administration. From 1991 to 1993 he was a railroad director of South Dakota.

1996 Thune was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, 1998 and 2000, he won re- election with over 70 percent of the vote. Thune is a supporter of limiting the terms of office of Deputies and promised no more than three terms ( two years) to work as a deputy.

In the Senate elections of 2002 he was Republican opponent of the incumbent Democratic Senator Tim Johnson. In an extremely close race he lost the Senate election by only 524 votes. Thune gave up a recount of the votes.

Two years later, he ran again for the Senate elections, this time against Democratic Senator Tom Daschle. In a tight race again but he won the election this time. This election was for the Democratic Party a heavy defeat, because Daschle was democratic party leader in the Senate.

Thune supported a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages. He was for the U.S. invasion of Iraq.