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Texas Senator John Cornyn has formally entered the race to succeed Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
McConnell, 82, introduced Wednesday that he plans to step away from management after turning into the longest-serving celebration chief in Senate historical past. Cornyn is considered one of McConnell’s prime lieutenants within the GOP convention, although he doesn’t at the moment maintain a management function.
“I’m asking my Republican colleagues to provide me the chance to succeed Chief McConnell,” Cornyn stated in an announcement launched Thursday.
Within the growing pool of potential successors, Cornyn is steadily talked about as one of many “three Johns” more likely to subsequent lead the convention. The opposite two are Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. and John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
Of the three, Barrasso is taken into account essentially the most conservative, a supply accustomed to Senate Republican convention discussions instructed Fox Information Digital. Barrasso can be believed to be a extra palatable choice for the varied factions of Republicans within the Senate who do not at all times see eye to eye. He notably endorsed former President Trump early final month.
Nonetheless, Cornyn and Thune have additionally endorsed Trump for re-election, and Cornyn boasts that he voted with Trump greater than 92% of the time throughout his time period within the White Home.
The Texas Republican’s pitch is that he is a confirmed election-winner with a track-record of constructing consensus to advance laws. His assertion pointed to his two phrases as chairman of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, throughout which period Republicans unseated 5 Democrats and positioned the convention to seize the bulk in 2014.
“I imagine the Senate is damaged — that’s not information to anybody. The excellent news is that it may be fastened, and I intend to play a significant function in fixing it,” Cornyn stated.
To assuage criticisms from hardline Republicans over the Senate course of, Cornyn pledged to “enhance communication, enhance transparency, and guarantee inclusion of each Member’s experience and opinion.”
“We are going to restore the essential function of Senate committees and reestablish the common appropriations course of, somewhat than lurch from one disaster to a different. And we are going to return energy again to our members; there will likely be no extra backroom offers or compelled votes on payments with out satisfactory time for evaluate, debate, and modification,” Cornyn promised.
These guarantees look like a solution to Sen. MIke Lee, R-Utah, one of the vital conservative members of the convention and a frequent McConnell critic.
“Anybody desirous to be the following Senate GOP chief ought to inform Senate Republicans — as particularly as potential — how she or he would do the job otherwise than it’s been accomplished since 2007,” Lee posted on X after McConnell introduced he would step down.
Lee demanded that the following Republican chief leverage “must-pass” spending payments to attain conservative priorities like chopping spending and slashing rules; that they chorus from interfering in GOP primaries in opposition to conservative candidates; and that they not “set up ambush periods in an effort to scold and humiliate conservative senators,” amongst different grievances hardline senators have lengthy voiced in opposition to McConnell.
However solely a handful of senators ever sided with Lee and others in opposition to McConnell. When Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., challenged McConnell for management in 2022, the vote was 37-10 in favor of McConnell. One Republican voted “current.” A few of those that reportedly voted in opposition to McConnell have been senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Braun; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
This can be a growing story and will likely be up to date. Fox Information’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Texas Senator John Cornyn declares candidacy for GOP Senate chief
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