Republicans will scramble behind closed doors to choose McConnell’s successor on Wednesday
The upcoming Senate Republican caucus will meet to hold a secret election for leadership positions Wednesday morning, including the successor to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who will lead the Republican majority next year.
At 9:30 am, the conference of the 119th Congress will elect a new leader, Republican whip, chairman of the conference, chairman of the Republican policy committee, vice chairman of the conference and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRS).
Those vying for the coveted leadership position are Senate Minerals Whip John Thune, RS.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Speakers John Cornyn, John Thune and Rick Scott are expected to compete in the race to replace Mitch McConnell as leader. (Getty Images)
On Tuesday, 42 members of the GOP gathered for a leadership forum led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Most of the lawmakers expressed satisfaction with the way the discussion went, and Scott ended the night by adding two more recommendations.
According to Lee, Republicans discussed a variety of issues, some procedural, some substantive, and some policy-oriented.
President-elect Donald Trump has never made an endorsement in the Senate leadership race. Scott’s race, however, has received support from high-profile Trump allies such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and X owner Elon Musk.
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Senate Republican Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is running unopposed in the election, while Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is running unopposed for the vice chairman of the conference. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, RW.Va., was unopposed in her bid to chair the Republican policy committee and Sen. Tim Scott, RS.C., is running unopposed for chair of the NRSC.
Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., will face off for the No. 3 GOP conference chair role.
Wednesday morning’s election will take place in the old Senate chamber in the Capitol. Before each race, each candidate will have two nomination speeches from other members of parliament. Then they will answer for themselves. There may be some discussion before the parliamentarians vote, and the secret ballot will remain secret unless the parliamentarians decide to reveal who they voted for. However, there is no way to confirm.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The election could last for hours, with the 2022 election running until 1pm after Scott challenged McConnell in the leadership race.
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To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority vote in the 53-member convention. This means they must get 27 votes.
Senators will not take on new roles until the new Congress begins in January.
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