SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - U.S. Sen. John Thune says he has been re-elected chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

The South Dakota Republican was first elected to the post by his peers in December 2011 and assumed the position last January when Texas Sen. Lamar Alexander stepped down.

It is the third-highest ranking Republican position in the Senate. Thune is responsible for communicating the party's message.