WASHINGTON -- US Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected John Thune, a senator from South Dakota and the current Republican whip, to succeed Mitch McConnell as the next majority leader in the upper chamber.

On a secret ballot, Thune, 63, beat two contenders: John Cornyn of Texas, a former Republican whip, and Rick Scott of Florida, a longtime McConnell critic who has framed himself as an opponent of leadership and of the establishment.

Thune, who was first elected to the Senate in 2004, has steadily advanced through the ranks of leadership. He previously served as chair of the Senate Republican Conference and the Senate Commerce Committee, and became the Republican whip in 2019.

He will replace McConnell, a longtime Republican leader, who announced in February that he was stepping down after leading the party for 18 years. McConnell, 82, is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. Thune will assume the role in January.

In the election last week, the Republican Party flipped four seats from the Democratic Party in the Senate, winning back the majority in the upper chamber. The 53-seat majority in a 100-member Senate will be a boon to the Republican agenda next year.

Elections for some House seats have yet to be called, but the Republican Party is expected to retain control of the House.