U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday chose Senator John Thune to serve as majority leader when they retake control of the chamber next year.

In a secret ballot, the South Dakota senator beat Senators John Cornyn and Rick Scott to assume the Republican leadership mantle that Mitch McConnell has held for the past 18 years.

The 63-year-old Thune was elected to the Senate in 2004 and currently holds the number two spot in Republican leadership, serving as minority whip. He is perceived as a more mainstream choice than Scott, a hardline conservative and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump.

Thune received 23 votes to Cornyn’s 15 and Scott’s 13. He will serve as Senate majority leader for at least the next two years. 

Republicans will hold at least 52 seats in the 100-person U.S. Senate. Votes in the Pennsylvania Senate race are still being counted. 

Trump has floated the idea of bypassing the normal hearing process for Cabinet appointees, a significant departure from the normal process.

Trump endorsed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Wednesday, saying he should serve as leader in the 119th Congress. With vote counting still underway in some states, Republicans hold a slim majority over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
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