McConnell’s Senate money machine makes transition to Thune as new era begins

The top outside group and financial boon for Senate Republicans, the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), is being equipped with allies of Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepares to take on the top GOP role in 2025. 

The SLF was built by those aligned with outgoing Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and quickly became a huge resource for the Senate GOP and its candidates in key races across the country. 

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Mitch McConnell’s fundraising apparatus is changing hands to John Thune allies. (Reuters)

Former Colorado Sen. Cory Garder will become chair of SLF’s board, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital, and is expected to be involved in finding a replacement for SLF President and CEO Steven Law, who announced after the Senate leader race that he would be stepping down, following McConnell. 

Leaders of Thune’s outside political operation, Johnny DeStefano and Paula Dukes, are also expected to be involved in the search. 

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Sen. Cory Gardner (Reuters)

“Cory understands the complexity of midterm elections and modern campaigns, and he knows firsthand the importance of working hand in glove with President Trump and his team to defeat Democrats,” DeStefano said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

This will be the first time since the group’s creation during McConnell’s time as leader that it will see new leadership and potentially operate differently, with a new Republican in charge in the Senate. 

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

McConnell and his allies were credited with building a huge donor network and fostering significant resources for Senate Republicans over the years. While Thune has managed to build up impressive fundraising this cycle, it’s not yet clear whether he will be able to sustain it while serving as leader. 

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The groups aligned with McConnell, SLF and sister group One Nation, have raised $2.3 billion in the past decade. The groups pulled in $400 million during the 2022 Senate cycle and $420 million in the recent 2024 cycle. 

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It will be up to Thune’s political operation to sustain this cash flow or learn to navigate GOP races with less resources if reaching McConnell-level fundraising proves too difficult.