Cornyn said Thune is a very important part of our conference and has a lot to offer, while underscoring that a reelection run is a separate question than who succeeds McConnell. That gives McConnell and his team influence over what bills succeed and which ones fail. Market data provided by Factset. For now, two candidates announcing their opposition to the Senate GOP leader doesn't have much of an impact on the partisan landscape. His` larger ambitions aside, the Florida Republican just oversaw a series of humiliating Senate GOP defeats in the midterm elections, with candidate quality being a serious problem. "It was really about that. Yet Murkowski points Romney down the path to running and winning as an anti-Trump Republican, for reasons beyond her backing from McConnell. The veteran lawmaker admitted his long commutes and time away from home have taken a toll on his family, previewing his thinking in early December, in an interview with his local paper. | Lee is expected to remain similarly neutral in a primary if Romney runs again, according to a person familiar with his plans. As long as he is in the Senate, hes going to want to be the leader, in the minority or the majority, Braun said. Hes not impulsive from anyway that I can tell, except on a basketball court, Cramer said of his fellow Dakotan. But over the past year hes also found himself at odds with former President Trump because of the former presidents push for GOP lawmakers to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which Trump and some of his closest allies have falsely claimed was rigged or stolen., Thune warned that a long-shot effort to throw out the Electoral College results in Congress would go down like a shot dog.. 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.". Its kind of like being a head coach in football, people look at sometimes the outward statements. He's also focused on agriculture issues during his tenure on Capitol Hill. The Utahn was the first senator in history to vote to remove a president of the same party from office, in Trumps first impeachment trial. Still, even with McConnells term not over until 2026, Republicans know that things can always change and change quickly. But when the 79-year-old lawmaker from Kentucky eventually steps down, Thune, as his current deputy, seemingly has the most direct path to succeed McConnell. The primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. It was the most uncharacteristic move for McConnell, said one GOP source close to the Senate Republican leader. McConnell has come under withering criticism from former President Trump over the past year after blaming Trump for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. SENATE REPUBLICAN REELECTION ARM HAULS IN A RECORD $104 MILLION LAST YEAR McConnell confirmed on Tuesday that hell seek to remain GOP Senate leader after Novembers midterms. In all likelihood, McConnell didn't respond to her statement with any real concern, in part because Murkowski is still favored to win re-election, and in part because he doesn't have any real rivals in the Senate GOP conference. Their lack of response doesnt mean that McConnell is at risk of losing his spot atop the Senate GOP Conference, a position hes enjoyed longer than any other Republican senator in history. Several GOP senators have decided to exit this cycle. ), the No. Those term limits, however, do not apply to the top leader. Murkowski is the lone GOP senator up for reelection who voted to convict Trump something she has defended since joining six of her GOP colleagues and 50 Senate Democrats to find the former President guilty of inciting the Capitol insurrection. Drew Angerer/Getty Images. CNN contacted the 16 Senate Republicans up for reelection in 2022 on Thursday about whether they still back McConnell and just three responded. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who served six years as GOP whip, and Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the current number-three Senate Republican leader, are also seen as potential contenders. 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. Thunes decision,which he had held off announcing after going past his end-of-year timeline, will likely bring a sigh of relief to Senate Republicans, who had grown increasingly alarmed that the 61-year-old senator would retire after 2022. His clout isn't as strong as it was when he was majority leader, but it's still consequential, including when it comes to delivering government funds to Kentucky. Thune earned Trumps ire a year ago for publicly dismissing his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. CNN On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell went public with what has long been suspected: He has no plans to leave the Senate even if his party loses its majority in November. Voters in Kentucky elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 8, 2022. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Its like, what should I do in the time I have left? "She is done with it," he said. McConnell has also been the target of Trump's 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. Even out of office he has caused headaches for Senate GOP leadership by weighing into fights over the infrastructure bill and the debt ceiling. Thune briefly considered a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination before deciding not to launch a campaign. Tuberville said he thinks McConnell as compiled a good record over the past year and doesnt know of anyone looking to usurp his leadership. Senate.". (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) And probably wont do that anytime in the immediate future.. ", But he asked and answered his own question, saying, "Was his potential influence in my race a factor? When McConnell lost the majority leadership, University of Kentucky political science professor Stephen Voss said that didn't put the commonwealth in danger of seeing a big drop in federal assistance. But thats a decision Ill make., Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 25, 2022. Both Sens. Whether he could win is frankly, not a question in my mind, Romney said in an interview. The gender pay gap has stayed largely unchanged for 20 years. 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]. But don't be surprised if the former president tries to secure related commitments from other candidates, which might start to make a difference in 2022. John Thune of South Dakota serves as the No. Thanks to Democrats' victory, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is lined up to keep setting the agenda instead. As the second-highest-ranking person in leadership, to me hes the logical successor.. Kristi Noem, a close ally of the former president, to launch a primary challenge against Thune. Murkowski herself may face punishment herself when the state party meets March 13, where it is expected to discuss her vote to convict Trump and debate any GOP effort to censure her. I dont own this job, McConnell said afterward. Thune has poised himself to [move up] with the responsibilities that he has taken on as whip, and he has poised himself to do so with relationships with just about all of us in the conference, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). 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. 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.. 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. He was elected to the House in 1996 and served three terms there. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". Still, should he run, Romney cant expect unified backing from the Senate Republican conference. Monaco also spoke on the FBIs mishandling of the Olympic gymnast sexual abuse case and threats against school board officials and educators. But its a clear sign that Republicans are eager to avoid being caught in the middle of a divisive fight over Trumps role in the party after McConnell accused Trump of a disgraceful dereliction of duty and being responsible for the deadly January 6 riot, despite the GOP leaders vote to acquit Trump on the contention that trying a former president is unconstitutional. Though Mitch McConnell has revealed about backing Trump for the 2024 presidential election, he has not confirmed about his re-election in 2022. Mitch McConnell is a U.S. Senate Republican Leader. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo, Thune agonized for nearly a year over running again, a choice complicated by former President Donald Trumps attacks on him for dismissing Trumps efforts to challenge Joe Bidens win. Also he is currently leading the Ukraine Environmental justice investors: Its the demand-side, stupid! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Sen. John Thune (S.D. Thanks to the filibuster a 60-vote threshold senators must meet to advance most bills Democrats need support from several Republicans, at least, to pass plenty of proposals. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell joined at left by Minority Whip John Thune, speaks to reporters after a Republican strategy meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 19, 2021. 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. "We work hard in South Dakota, connect with the people in our state and always put their interest first, and I think they appreciate that. That means McConnell, whom Senate Republicans kept as their top official, remains Senate minority leader a leadership role he got demoted to in January 2021 after Democrats won a razor-thin majority. The South Dakotan usually sides with his leadership but broke with McConnell and voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill this fall. Hes worked with Democrats frequently, yet just as easily takes a hard conservative line on issues like the debt ceiling. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. McConnell-allied groups took the opposite tack, seeking initially to boost more traditional establishment-type Republicans. 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 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said he will run for another term as the chamber's top GOP leader at the end of the year, shutting down the possibility of a shake-up in the Republican chain of command. Yet Trumps attacks ceased, and as he measured his future, Thune said the possibility of one day becoming Republican leader put additional weight on the side of staying around, for sure.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. That makes Romneys path to reelection easier than some other Trump critics who bowed out of electoral politics rather than face voters again. The 61-year-old once mulled running for president but has committed himself to the Senate after passing on national ambitions. 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