Republicans elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota to be Senate Majority Leader on Wednesday.
Thune defeated Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Senator Rick Scott of Florida to replace Senator Mitch McConnell as leader of the GOP caucus.
Thune is McConnell's current lieutenant, and Cornyn previously held that position.
Republicans are scheduled to retain the majority in the Senate for the next two years, starting in early January. Democrats currently control the majority in the House.
President-elect Donald Trump has not endorsed any candidate in the running for majority leader, but he has long criticized McConnell, the Kentucky lawmaker who announced earlier this year that he would not seek to retain the leadership position he has held for 18 years.
Scott was endorsed by a number of Trump allies — Tesla CEO Elon Musk, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Thune and Cornyn have previously criticized Trump.
Scott received the fewest votes of the three contenders, and was eliminated in the first round of closed balloting, which was held in the Old Senate Chamber of the US Capitol.
He defeated Thon Cornyn in the second round by a score of 29 to 24.
The vote came a week after Republicans took control of the council by winning four seats in the elections that took place last week.
Democrats do not plan to hold their leadership contests until early December.
“I am deeply honored to have the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate,” Thune said in a statement. He added: “This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work begins today.”
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York congratulated Thune on his win, saying, “I look forward to working with him.”
