Thune, 63 years old, emerged as the winner in the secret ballot, beating Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.).

Thune and Cornyn have both served as top lieutenants to outgoing leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and were seen as providing continuity for the party. Scott, who is close to Trump, was seen as a long-shot bid but had the backing of a faction of GOP senators who have clashed with McConnell and his top-down style. Scott was eliminated after the first round of voting, and Thune beat Cornyn in the second and final round.

The new majority leader will guide the Senate as Republicans work to pass tax cuts, consider Trump-nominated judges and cabinet officials and navigate battles over government spending, foreign aid and the debt ceiling. He will also have to manage Trump, who has had a tense relationship with McConnell.

Thune also will determine how the majority functions, and how much power to give to frustrated rank-and-file members who for years have felt sidelined.

All of the leader candidates said they supported Trump’s legislative plans. Prominent Trump allies endorsed Scott in recent days, with some pointedly criticizing Thune and Cornyn, but senators said the pressure campaign did nothing to sway the race.

Cornyn has a longer record of raising money for his colleagues and has taken more pains to differentiate himself from McConnell, once a top Trump nemesis. In a prominent break with McConnell, Cornyn has said that the Republican leader should be subject to term limits, a policy that McConnell said would make it harder to raise money.