I do, Scott said when asked if he stands by supporting McConnell as leader. The election filled the Class III Senate seat held by Rand Paul (R), who first took office in 2011. He likes winners and John Thune is a winner, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told The New York Times. The primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. He has Sometimes in this current political environment, it can be a mixed blessing to have a member of the Republican leadership in the Senate come out in circumstances. As long as he is in the Senate, hes going to want to be the leader, in the minority or the majority, Braun said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said he will run for another term as the chambers top GOP leader at the end of the year, shutting down the possibility of a shake-up in the Republican chain of command. He voted to convict Trump in both impeachment trials, becoming the only Senate Republican to support abuse of power charges against Trump in the former presidents first trial over Ukraine aid. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. President Trump is well liked up here, Clary said. WebThe Trump Archive collects TV news shows containing debates, speeches, rallies, and other broadcasts related to Donald Trump, before, during and after his presidency. Two recent filibuster exceptions expose lie of filibuster as insurmountable hurdle, determined to oust him from his leadership post, Why Mark Meadows' use of personal email accounts matters, The scope of Trumps failed Iran policy comes into sharper focus. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Theres Thune the South Dakotan, McConnells current deputy, as well as former whip John Cornyn of Texas, the two favorites to succeed the GOP leader. also backed another Romney run and is planning to meet with him soon to discuss his plans. Legal Statement. nor former Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) - appear to be actively jockeying to replace McConnell. However, Democratsclinched the majoritywhen Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, America's first-ever Latina senator, won her highly competitive reelection bid. Asked if hell be crisscrossing the country this year, helping fellow Republicans in Senate elections, Thune said "if its helpful. 2 Senate Republican and a close ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), on Saturday announced he will run for It shows his strength, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who voted for McConnell, said of Wednesdays election. Thunes pursuit of a fourth term, however, has left the Senate GOP newly abuzz over who might take the reins post-McConnell, since political trajectories can change in an instant in the Senate. Thune rose quickly through the ranks in the chamber and has held multiple leadership posts. And timing could be everything: Thune is subject to the same six-year term limits as whip that rotated Cornyn out of the spot. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Richard Shelby of Alabama are opting to step down rather than run again in 2022. Its like, what should I do in the time I have left? The longtime party leader fended off a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a Trump ally who led a conservative effort to unseat him. | NBC News reported late yesterday: A Republican running with former President Donald Trump's support to unseat Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Monday that she would not vote for Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for another term as the Senate's GOP leader. "When I defeat Murkowski and become Alaska's next U.S. senator, I will not support Mitch McConnell as leader," [Kelly Tshibaka said in a written statement]. Sens. Even Sen. Mike Braun (Ind. Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire. Republicans are defending 20 seats during the 2022 midterm elections, including five open seats where Sens. (Susan Walsh/Pool/AFP via Getty Images). 2022 MIDTERMS: WILL A RED WAVE OVERCOME A BLUE WALL? ", Looking to the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Thune predicted "that well have a candidate emerge that can really take hold out there and speak to the issues that are important to the American people and become a standard-bearer for the Republican Party that will put right-center, conservative solutions on the table to address the challenges and problems the country faces. Glenn Clary, the state party chairman, told CNN that some people are angry and upset and some people say she voted her conscience.. Samuel Corum/Getty Images A A Republican senators up for reelection in 2022 do not appear eager to pick sides between former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch 2-ranking Republican in the Senate, announced on Saturday that he would seek another six-year term in the Senate in order to deliver for South Dakota, emphasizing that he's "uniquely positioned to get that job done. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gives a thumbs-up as he leaves a meeting with Senate Republicans at the Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) Where Thune can be low-key, Cornyn brings a more pugnacious style that leads some other Republicans to see him as a natural successor to McConnell. In a statement posted to Twitter, Thune said he is uniquely positioned to serve South Dakota and be a strong and effective senator who can deliver the results they expect.. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The senator predicted that Trump's baseless challenge of the results in Congress would go down like "a shot dog." John Thune (@johnthune) January 8, 2022. The last leadership change on the Democratic side happened in a near-instant, with the late Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announcing his retirement and immediately endorsing Sen. Chuck Schumer to succeed him. It wasn't just electoral calculations that led to questions about Thune's political future in the Senate but family considerations as well. John Thune of South Dakota serves as the No. McConnell confirmed Tuesday hell seek to remain party leader after this falls midterms, no surprise given his goal of surpassing the late Sen. Mike Mansfields record for leadership longevity a year from now. While the lack of response from GOP senators over McConnell underscores the awkward spot Republicans find themselves in, some made clear they are behind the Senate Republican leader. The GOP and McConnell hoped to flip the Senate in November's election, but that didn't happen. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy won't seek reelection next year, House retirement tracker: Senior Democrats exit as the GOP is confident of a takeover. McConnell has also been the target of Trumps wrath after voting for a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and a proposal to allow Democrats to raise the debt ceiling by themselves with a simple majority vote. The longer answer is: Definitely yes. Legal Statement. The South Dakota senator highlighted the Republican victories, suggesting they are a 'repudiation' of the Democrats' big-government approach. And I think his running for reelection would be very important, McConnell said. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Its not like anybody figured wed have a new leader, but someone had to step up and make the statement that there were more than 10 of us that are probably not generally happy with the amount of input any one senator has.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. If youre going to assess blame for election losses, I dont know how you trade in the leader for the chairman of the NRSC, Cramer mused to reporters on Tuesday. The great thing for us is, you have a couple of really exceptional individuals that can step up if McConnell decides to step out.. The majority leader has the ability to determine which proposals do and don't come up for a vote in the Senate. John probably has a pretty good sense of his likelihood of success.. Johns a cautious man. They dont see what goes on behind the scenes, the organization, the planning, getting people to work together.. But it's not as if Barack Obama was actively involved in a campaign to destroy Schumer. Link Copied! Eric Greitens, another Republican Senate hopeful in 2022, also said a few months ago that he wouldn't support McConnell, either. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything related to him: Peter Strzok. But Noem dismissed any bid for Senate and is running for reelection as governor. And probably wont do that anytime in the immediate future.. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Weather Forecast Some senators think McConnells set to stay around as leader until the end of his Senate career, regardless of Trumps relentless attacks on him and calls for new leadership. They don't see what goes on behind the scenes, the organization, the planning, getting people to work together.". Senate.". Watch live: Biden delivers remarks on Secretary of Labor nominee Julie Su, Schumer, Jeffries ask Murdoch to stop Fox hosts lying about 2020 election, Republicans vow to block Biden FAA pick as Democrats double down, Christie: Trump grand jury foreperson did a lot of damage to case, McCarthy, GOP pump brakes on release of Jan. 6 footage to Tucker Carlson, China, Belarus call for cease-fire, negotiations in Ukraine, Bill Maher: I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level, Two more House Republicans call for home-state Rep. Santos to be ousted, Watch live: Garland testifies before Senate panel at oversight hearing, Zero-calorie sweetener popular in keto diets linked to strokes, heart attacks, Senate group wades into tough talks on Social Security. "It's kind of like being a head coach in football, people look at sometimes the outward statements. The filing deadline was January 25, 2022. In fact, McConnell noted in a January 2021 interview that he'd "still be one of the Big Four," saying: "When you end up in a big negotiation at the end of the year, each of the four of us have a veto power over what goes in and what doesn't.". Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Sen. John Thune questions U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai as she testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 12, 2021. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of Trumps, said last month that a Republican leader in Congress needs to have a working relationship with Donald Trump or you cannot be effective.. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. While Trump has seemingly moved on from Thune, hes kept up a long-running, largely one-sided, feud with McConnell. Hes not impulsive from anyway that I can tell, except on a basketball court, Cramer said of his fellow Dakotan. Severe Weather Kristi Noem (R) to challenge Thune in a primary but she declined and is running for reelection to the states top office. But as one Senate Republican put it, the potential competition between the two sets up a really difficult choice for the conference. Sen. You know, Im 75, Romney said. DeSantis pushes for dismissal of lawsuit brought by migrants sent to Marthas Feehery: Progressive DC government turning city into a dystopia, Vance pitches PPP for Ohio while other Republicans say to wait, The shepherd boy, the wolf and the threat to Israeli democracy, Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She estimated a leadership campaign wouldnt happen for probably five years from now., Nonetheless, the unofficial battle of the Johns is very real. Heres how. Barrasso has spent several years using his messaging operation to ingratiate himself with more junior Republicans, lining up lengthy press conferences and helping ease his path to become the next whip the same perch thats helped Cornyn and Thune position themselves to succeed McConnell. What that means, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. Hes a key player in the Senates centrist negotiating groups that have helped craft new laws on infrastructure, gun safety and marriage equality and he wants to continue that style of work as long as hes a senator. Even so, he may face opposition from his own party if he runs, with Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes the most prominent possibility. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) But despite Trumps previous anger, Thune appears likely to win reelection and has $14,839,846.75 cash on hand in his campaign account as of the last fundraising quarter. In terms of his wrestling match with President Trump, thats an issue that I guess will sort itself out over time., Asked if anyone is jockeying behind the scenes for McConnells job, Braun said, theres none of that been exhibited that Ive observed.. Scott announced Tuesday that he would take on McConnell for the seat, arguing that the status quo is broken and big change is needed. His complaints about GOP leadership followed months of feuding with McConnell over campaign strategy that devolved into open warfare after Democrats maintained control of the Senate last week. Mitt Romney said he needs to see how that feels in the coming months as he considers whether to test his brand of politics one more time. Thune has accrued internal support with the help of personal dinners, massive financial transfers to the party committee and his role as current party whip. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". Instead, the former president this week went after Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) Tuberville said he thinks McConnell as compiled a good record over the past year and doesn't know of anyone looking to usurp his leadership. I have a hard time seeing how they get out of the hole by next November., THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Trump supported Murkowskis conservative challenger Kelly Tshibaka, but the incumbent stuck to the center amid her states new ranked-choice voting system and won by 7 points. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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