John Thune
U.S. Senator (Republican) from South Dakota, serving since 1997
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for South Dakota (Republican), in Congress since 1997. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, the Moderate Republican lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (+0.431, from 907 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 67 | toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 50 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 35 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 62 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 68 | toward intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 74 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 47 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 62 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 53 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 22 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 62 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 43 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 68 | toward intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 45 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. | Disagrees | from their record |
| The financial sector should be operated primarily as a public service. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
Recorded votes used
| Vote | How they voted | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| S. 9 (cloture), Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act Senate roll 100 (2025) | Yea | Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. |
| S. 6 (cloture), Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Senate roll 11 (2025) | Yea | Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Yea | Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Yea | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 4, Rescissions Act Senate roll 411 (2025) | Yea | Wealthy countries should give more aid to poorer countries. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 35 (overturn EPA methane-emissions fee rule) Senate roll 97 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| S.J.Res. 28 (overturn CFPB rule on large payment apps) Senate roll 106 (2025) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 18 (overturn CFPB overdraft-fee rule) Senate roll 153 (2025) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Nay | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Nay | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Nay | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Nay | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
Votes from the official House Clerk and Senate roll-call records.
Checked against their own statements
- H.R. 1: "Keeping energy affordable and reliable is critically important to our economy here in western South Dakota" (2025-07-26) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: "There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue" (on removing PEPFAR from the cuts) (2025-07-15) source
- S. 9: "That is not possible when men are involved in women's sports." (2025-03-03) source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: 0.431 (from 907 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Moderate Republican.
Closest ideologies
National Liberalism89% similar positionModerate Conservatism87% similar positionCentrism87% similar positionSocial Market Economy87% similar positionNeoconservatism86% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Rishi Sunak96% similar · Historical and internationalFriedrich Merz95% similar · Historical and internationalBoris Johnson93% similar · Historical and internationalPierre Poilievre93% similar · Historical and internationalJohn F. Kennedy91% similar · US politiciansPeter KropotkinContrasting: 52% similarKim Jong UnContrasting: 53% similarMikhail BakuninContrasting: 54% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.