Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected Sen. John Thune to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell as leader of the Senate's GOP and its likely new majority. Thune won a 29-24 vote in a second round of voting against Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas, in a closed door meeting in a secret ballot vote. Advertisement Thune. R-S.D., said he is "extremely honored" to have gotten the support "to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress," in a statement . A candidate needed 27 votes from colleagues in