President-elect Donald Trump’s victory has complicated the three-way contest to replace Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down at the end of the year. McConnell’s trusted lieutenants, including Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Sen. John Cornyn, and Sen. Rick Scott, are all vying to be Senate leader after Republicans recaptured the majority in the election. Thune and Cornyn have been seen as the most likely successors due to their years in leadership and relationships across the GOP Conference. However, Scott and his conservative allies believe that he should be the one to lead the Senate, despite winning only 10 votes when he challenged McConnell two years ago.
Scott personally asked Trump for his endorsement when he notified the former president that he was launching a bid for Republican leader. Trump has not publicly weighed in on the race and is staying out of it for now, according to a Republican source. Sen. Ron Johnson urged Trump to endorse Scott publicly, stating that Scott’s accomplishments and outside-the-box thinking would be beneficial in accomplishing Trump’s agenda. However, leadership elections are private affairs conducted by secret ballot, meaning that a senator’s vote is not publicly known. To win, a candidate needs a simple majority, with the candidate with the least number of votes being cast aside if no candidate achieves a majority in the first ballot.
Thune encouraged Trump to stay out of the internal leadership race, stating that Senate secret ballot elections are best left to senators. Thune has previously criticized Trump for his actions around Jan. 6, 2021, and endorsed Sen. Tim Scott in the presidential primary before backing Trump months later. Cornyn also had a complex relationship with Trump, initially stating that Trump could not win in 2024 before endorsing him as he defeated his primary opponents. Both Thune and Cornyn have been trying to mend fences with Trump in the lead-up to the leadership race, with Thune visiting Trump at his Florida club in March, and Cornyn appearing with him at rallies.
Thune and Cornyn have been active fundraisers for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and have campaigned extensively for GOP candidates. Thune raised over $33 million this cycle and headlined more than 200 events for candidates and the NRSC. Cornyn raised more than $26 million and campaigned in battleground states, including Texas, where he supported Sen. Ted Cruz. Both candidates are hoping that their relationships with current and incoming GOP senators serve as a bridge between the party’s moderate and MAGA wings, which gained influence even before Trump’s recent win. The vote of their GOP colleagues will ultimately decide who succeeds McConnell as Senate leader, and both Thune and Cornyn are making efforts to win their support.
