John Thune replaced Mitch McConnell as the Republican Senate leader, not as Kentucky’s Senate seat holder. McConnell remains a U.S. senator from Kentucky, while Thune took over the GOP leadership role in November 2024.

What that means

  • Senate leadership: Thune became the new Republican leader in the Senate.
  • McConnell’s seat: There was no replacement for McConnell’s Kentucky Senate seat at that time because he stayed in the chamber.
  • Why the confusion: News coverage often says someone “replaced McConnell” when it refers to party leadership, not his elected seat.

Plain answer

If you meant the Senate leadership position , the answer is John Thune. If you meant who replaced him in Kentucky’s Senate seat , that has not happened in the information reviewed here.