Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Senate majority leader Wednesday, ushering in a new era for the Senate GOP after nearly two decades under the helm of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Why it matters: Thune will be tasked with balancing the diverging wings of the Republican Party,

Thune, who attended the La Mirada university, played basketball under coach Dave Holmquist, who is still on staff at Biola.

The senator from South Dakota bested Sens. John Cornyn and Rick Scott in a secret-ballot vote to replace Mitch McConnell