Politicians are often defined by their pride, their broken promises and their mistakes.
For United States Senator John Thune (R-SD), a Biola University alumnus and potential 2012 presidential candidate, his political career is defined by his desire to build relationships and reestablish trust.

Building trust between people and their leaders

“There aren’t very many people out there who are fond of politicians these days, and I hope we can change that,” Thune said back in April. “I want to do everything I can to change that because I think that there ought to be trust between people and the leaders that represent them, and it’s really important that we try and build that trust, and so I want to be a part of that.”

Thune’s college days didn’t include politics

Thune did not always dream of being a politician, and he turned down several opportunities in college to enter politics. He graduated from Biola in May 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Then, he graduated from the University of South Dakota with a master’s degree in the same subject. He later married Kimberley Weems, a Biola alumna from South Dakota. They now have two daughters: Brittany, a college graduate, and Larissa, a college junior.

Interest in politics born after grad school

His interest in politics began after graduate school when he went to Washington, D.C. to work as a staffer for Jim Abdnor, former senator from South Dakota. Thune first met Abdnor — who later became his mentor — in high school, and credits him with sparking his interest in politics.

“It really wasn’t probably until I came out here and worked that I gave any serious consideration to potentially, you know, eventually someday run for office myself, so he was a very influential person early on in life,” Thune said.

Thune influenced by Biola prof.

Biola professor Dave Peters, who teaches political science and public administration, also served as a great influence. Peters previously served as the mayor of La Mirada, Calif. and encouraged Thune to take political science classes and attend the American Studies Program in Washington, D.C.

Thune, however, had no interest in entering the world of politics until after college.
Since, he has served three terms in the House of Representatives, beginning in 1996, and was elected senator in 2004.

Thune enjoys helping others

Thune said the most rewarding part of his job is that it allows him to help people,
While some politicians may be too busy to remember the names and faces of interns or people they meet, Thune has a reputation for being friendly and treating people well.
Biola alumnus Thomas Kurt Jaros interned for Thune’s office in fall 2009 through the American Studies Program, and was impressed with the senator’s approach to people.

“Perhaps one of the most important things I learned from him is that every person matters,” said Jaros. “If I was going between the offices and Senator Thune was there and not super busy, he would say, ‘Hi Kurt.’ That can go a long way.”

Thune’s character strong as an athlete

Thune’s former basketball coach at Biola, Dave Holmquist, also testified to Thune’s character. He said that even when he knew Thune in 1979 as an athlete, he was humble and had a strong faith.

Peters said the same for Thune’s attitude as a student in the classroom. He described him as a critical thinker who was well prepared.

From his interactions with Thune during the course of one semester, Jaros noticed these personality traits as well.

“Senator Thune is one of the best politicians I have ever met,” Jaros said. “There are many politicians that I agree with when it comes to the issues. Senator Thune is a politician I believe in. He is a devout Christian, down to earth, personable, intelligent and astute.”

Christian faith keeps Thune grounded

As a politician, Thune said his Christian faith has been important in his career in keeping him grounded. With staffers continually looking after his every need, he said his faith helps him remember he is serving a cause greater than himself.

“I also think that your faith is sort of what inspires you to make sure that you’re using your skills and your God-given abilities to their highest and best use,” he said. “You want to make sure that you are being faithful to the opportunity that you’ve been given, to the gifts and skills that you’ve been given and in using them for a greater good.”
Thune would not disclose whether he will run for president in 2012, but said his current focus was the 2010 elections, in which he ran unopposed, for re-election in the Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

He has not, however, ruled out the possibility of running for president in 2012 entirely. “There will be a time and place when that debate gets underway,” Thune said.