U.S. Senator
John Thune
South Dakota
RepublicanConservative
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 defense#3 other#4 environment energy#5 agriculture
354
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
0.43Conservative
Senator John Thune holds conservative positions that align with the Republican Party mainstream, though his voting record places him slightly more moderate than the average Republican senator. His NOMINATE score of 0.432 indicates a solidly conservative approach to legislation while showing some flexibility on certain issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Republican avg
Near the average for Republicans (0.52)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
354
total votes analyzed
Overview
John Thune has represented South Dakota in the U.S. Senate since 2005, previously serving in the House of Representatives. He has risen to become a senior member of Senate Republican leadership, reflecting his standing within the party and his ability to build coalitions. His voting record shows strong support for agricultural interests, with a 76% approval rate on agriculture-related legislation—consistent with representing a rural state where farming and ranching are economic mainstays. He has also shown substantial support for defense and environmental/energy legislation, voting in favor 66% and 72% of the time respectively in those categories. Notably, Thune has been more cautious on banking and finance issues, supporting only 14% of such measures, and has voted against most Social Security-related legislation that came before him (25% yea rate). His 100% support rate on taxation votes, though based on a small sample, suggests strong alignment with Republican tax policy priorities.
Key Positions
- •Strong advocate for agricultural policy supporting rural and farming communities
- •Consistent supporter of defense and national security measures
- •Supportive of energy legislation, including policies relevant to South Dakota's energy sector
- •Conservative approach to banking and financial regulation
- •Supports Republican tax policy positions
- •Cautious on Social Security legislation
By Policy Area
Healthcare200
59% yea41% nay
Defense29
66% yea34% nay
Other29
59% yea41% nay
Environment & Energy25
72% yea28% nay
Agriculture21
76% yea24% nay
Budget & Spending18
67% yea33% nay
Social Security16
25% yea75% nay
Banking & Finance7
14% yea86% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $66.4M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$2.6M
67%
PAC / Committees$1.3M
33%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$2.2M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$454K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$380K · 20%
$200 – 499
$61K · 3%
$500 – 999
$108K · 6%
$1,000 – 1,999
$375K · 19%
$2,000+
$1.0M · 53%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (SD)$238K · 14%
Out-of-state$1.5M · 86%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
SD
$238K
CA
$209K
TX
$154K
FL
$116K
NY
$95K
IA
$68K
NC
$65K
VA
$57K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
RETIRED$397K
SELF-EMPLOYED$56K
HOMEMAKER$54K
SELF$50K
NULL$49K
DAVITA$33K
WELLMARK BCBS$25K
DAVITA INC.$15K
WELLMARK$12K
BNSF RAILWAY$12K
WINGED KEEL GROUP$12K
BEASLEY MEDIA GROUP$10K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$1.5M
Administrative
$192K
Advertising
$98K
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$350K
AMERICAN EXPRESS
2.$303K
UNITED STATES TREASURY
3.$158K
RIZZO DUKES GROUP LLC
4.$137K
CROSBY OTTENHOFF GOUP
5.$127K
SDLS, LLC
6.$117K
THE LUKENS COMPANY
7.$93K
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC
8.$48K
MDG STRATEGIES INC
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$3.4M
Operating Offsets
$1K
Net Operating
$3.4M
Transfers
Transfers Out
$7K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$68K
Committee Refunds
$7K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$1.5M
Opposing
$257K
Total Outside Spending
$1.8M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$1.0MNRA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND
+$979K-$68K
02
$220KNATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
+$113K-$107K
03
$204KAMERICAN ENERGY ACTION FUND
+$204K
04
$113KAVE MARIA LIST PAC, THE
+$113K
05
$81KLEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS
-$81K
06
$77KASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS PAC
+$77K
07
$10KNATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK COMMITTEE PAC, THE
+$10K
08
$2KSUSAN B ANTHONY LIST CANDIDATE FUND
+$2K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2023 – 6/30/2026FEC: S2SD00068Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
271 votes across 14 categories