In the first seriously contested Senate Republican leadership election in decades, three senators are vying to replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell when he steps down from the post at the beginning of next year.

The Republicans in the US Senate on Wednesday elected John Thune of South Dakota as the chamber's next majority leader. The Republicans secured a majority in the Senate in last week's US election, which also swept Donald Trump back into the White House.

The incoming Senate Republican majority made their very first major move, electing South Dakota Senator John Thune as their next leader. The Washington Post's Rhonda Colvin reports from the Capitol.