John Thune, the No. Tuberville said he thinks McConnell as compiled a good record over the past year and doesnt know of anyone looking to usurp his leadership. 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. But before he starts preparing to change offices, it's worth noting that some of the Republicans running for the Senate next year say they have no intention of supporting McConnell in 2023. 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. | Those term limits, however, do not apply to the top leader. Im pretty proud of 37 to 10, he added. CNN contacted the 16 Senate Republicans up for reelection in 2022 on Thursday about whether they still back McConnell and just three responded. The remarks sparked Trumps ire and the former president fired back that Thune was Mitchs boy. Trump tried toconvince South Dakota Gov. 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.. But theyare feeling increasingly confident about their chances of winning back the Senate, where they only need a net pickup of one seat to get the majority. 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. A vote to delay the leadership elections until after next months Georgia Senate runoff was defeated, 32-16. 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. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. And though she said Cornyn and Barrasso would do a very good job, shes one of the few GOP senators willing to weigh in on the shadow leadership race. 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. Thune mulled for nearly a year on whether to run for a fourth term representing South Dakota. Hes a deliberate person. "As long as he is in the Senate, he's going to want to be the leader, in the minority or the majority," Braun said. What do I want to accomplish? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. THE SIX BIGGEST CAMPAIGN QUESTIONS OF 2022, Thune noted that "the overall political landscape, political environment, that youre in" weighed on his electoral decision and acknowledged that Trumps continued dominance within the GOP "plays into the things that were going to be able to do around here is certainly a factor. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything related to him: Peter Strzok. From Politico: Utahs voters are near evenly split over whether Romney should run again yet a Romney reelection is important to McConnell to demonstrate the partys appeal goes beyond Trump, even as the former presidents critics vanish from the congressional GOP. But Cornyn, 69, brings his own formidable resume: He ran the National Republican Senatorial Committee for two cycles, served as whip for six years and is still a McConnell confidante at the leaders table of advisers. Beyond the electoral math, theres another factor for Romney to consider: Just what can the Senate do during the next two years of divided government? But that doesnt mean theyll get the sort of traction they did with Democratic majorities in Congress that generally facilitated centrists work, while usually just a minority of Senate Republicans voted for any bipartisan deals. He listened and was receptive to the folks that he knows probably voted against him. McConnell had lobbied his second-in-command to run for reelection in the solidly red state where Thune enjoys broad support. 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. Heres how. It shows his strength, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who voted for McConnell, said of Wednesdays election. "Once McConnell would make his mind up one way or the other, I'm sure there would be a jockeying for that would become quite apparent," he said. Romneys ultimate decision on reelection will say far more about the state of the Republican Party than any other safe red seat. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. 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. TWO REPUBLICANS JUMP INTO SENATE RACE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. Republican senators are trying to stay out of the fray between former President Donald Trump and their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell. "It's time for new, America First leadership in the Senate.". With the state attorney general among the conservatives eyeing a challenge, Utahs voters are near evenly split over whether Romney should run again yet a Romney reelection is important to McConnell to demonstrate the partys appeal goes beyond Trump, even as the former presidents critics vanish from the congressional GOP. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. McConnell said in an interview that hes absolutely willing to do the same for Romney, and is pushing his colleague for another bid. Unlike McConnell, Scott has detailed plans to overhaul entitlement programs and has embraced extreme candidates endorsed by Donald Trump. For months, Thune, 61, had said he was undecided about whether he would run for a fourth term. Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Wednesday easily won reelection as Senate GOP leader, fending off a conservative challenge led by Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.). The final vote was 37-10, with one Republican voting present. For instance, he backed two particularly notable bipartisan laws since 2021: The $1.2 trillionbipartisan infrastructure law, which is expected to sendat least $4.6 billion to Kentucky. Reach reporter Morgan Watkins at [email protected]. "It's kind of like being a head coach in football, people look at sometimes the outward statements. The 61-year-old Thune, a former congressman who defeated then-Senate Democratic leader Sen. Tom Daschle in 2004, could have some competition down the road in the race to succeed McConnell. "I have not heard anybody say anything negative," he added. (Susan Walsh/Pool/AFP via Getty Images). Trump is flirting with running again in 2024 and continues to maintain a fierce grip on the party. ", Former President Trump speaks at a rally on Sept. 25, 2021, in Perry, Georgia. 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. But some Republicans have raised questions about whether he can effectively serve as leader while his relationship with the former president remains strained. I look forward to earning the support of all South Dakotans in the 2022 election for Senate, he continued. Republican senators say none of McConnell's possible heirs apparent - neither Thune nor Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) But theres no more prominent GOP Trump foil these days than Romney. Its really more of a matter of relationships and trust.. But thats a decision Ill make., Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 25, 2022. McConnell says he will do everything possible to ensure Romney succeeds. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Senate is currently split 50-50 between the two major parties, but Democrats hold a razor-thin majority due to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris through her constitutional duty as president of the chamber. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. With polls showing the wind at Republicans' backs, and with Democrats holding onto barely existent majorities in both chambers on Capitol Hill, folks like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have reason to be optimistic about the 2022 midterms. He called Thune an "outstanding senator" in a radio interview in late December. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of Trump's, said last month that a Republican leader in Congress needs to have "a working relationship with Donald Trump" or "you cannot be effective.". Romney stayed neutral during his colleague Sen. Mike Lees (R-Utah) reelection campaign, as his friend Evan McMullin ran against Lee as an independent. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything related to him: Peter Strzok. Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Wednesday easily won reelection as Senate GOP leader, fending off a conservative challenge led by Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.). "I've always promised that I would do the work, even when it was hard, uncomfortable, or unpopular," Thune said in a statement posted on Twitter. But he made clear that Trump still has deep support among the party faithful. But it's worth noting for context that the far-right Alaskan isn't alone in adopting an anti-McConnell position. Sen. John Thune speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 2021. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol on September 28, 2022. GOP senators say they dont know of any Republican senator who plans to challenge McConnell for the top Republican leadership slot in the Senate despite his rocky relationship with Trump, who remains popular with Republican base voters. 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. McConnell made his statement a few days after his top deputy, Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D. Senate Democrats can keep approving President Joe Biden's nominees to the federal judiciary even without any Republican colleagues' support, for example, because those nominations can advance with just 51 votes. When he had that job from January 2015 through January 2021, McConnell used that power to block bills. That makes Romneys path to reelection easier than some other Trump critics who bowed out of electoral politics rather than face voters again. McConnell faces increased opposition from 2022 GOP Senate hopefuls. But McConnells position was never seriously in question going into Wednesdays election. And Im Scandinavian, so the glass is always half empty. He downplayed any conflict with Cornyn, whom he said is his friend. The final vote was 37-10, with one Republican voting present.. Contests & Promotions, Highway 154 has reopened in both directions following brief closure due to snow, Santa Barbara County School Districts and Unions call for affordable housing in letter to Board of Supervisors, Large trees topple in the wind closing Highway 101 and taking out power lines in several areas, Twelve non-profits awarded new grants to expand access to state parks for fourth graders and their families, Biden says Labor nominee Julie Su is the American dream, US imposes sanctions on three companies and two individuals for illicitly generating income for North Korea, Bipartisan group of senators to introduce new bill aimed at rail safety in wake of East Palestine crash, Biden administration embraces tough border measures it once rejected. 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. People assumed that Mitch McConnell will be up for re-election in 2022 following his election in 2020, which he won. Two Trump-backed Senate candidates have said they won't support Mitch McConnell for majority leader, which has the potential to make a real difference. Both senators said their most important election right now is this November, when they have a real shot at taking back the majority. Thats the nature of Utah politics, said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) of the states strange dynamics. The gender pay gap has stayed largely unchanged for 20 years. 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. Here's what that means for the kind of power he'll be able to wield. 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. We underperformed among independents and moderates because their impression of many of the people in our party, in leadership roles, is that theyre causing chaos, negativity, excessive attacks. "She is done with it," he said. The closed-door, secret-ballot vote was held in the Old Senate Chamber, an ornate semicircular room in the Capitol where lawmakers met prior to the Civil War. But as one Senate Republican put it, the potential competition between the two sets up a really difficult choice for the conference. We got a lot of legislation of significant nature through, Romney said in the interview. The Trump Archive launched in January 2017. 2 Senate Republican who faces voters in South Dakota next year, told CNN in a statement. 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. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a Trump ally and former college football coach, said McConnell's doing a "good job," shrugging off the former president's scathing criticism of the leader. Monaco also spoke on the FBIs mishandling of the Olympic gymnast sexual abuse case and threats against school board officials and educators. People respect his intelligence, his assessment of the era we find ourselves in. No one understands the Senate better than he does, Sen. John Thune, the No. Roy Blunt (R-Mo. Todd Young of Indiana and Roy Blunt of Missouri, who are close with the GOP leader, did not respond to inquiries and may be wary themselves of inviting a possible primary challenger if they anger the former President. Market data provided by Factset. Thune joined the House of Representatives in 1997 and, after an initial Senate bid in 2002, sent a lightning bolt through Washington when he defeated then-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004 in what was the most expensive race of the cycle. 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). Thune serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and has played a leading role in telecommunications issues, including efforts to promote broadband. ), ended months of speculation by announcing over the weekend that he would run for a fourth Senate term. Cornyns power base stems from his time as whip and party committee chair in 2010 and 2012 as well as his continued fundraising prowess for the party and handy reelection win in 2020 after Democrats tried to make Texas a battleground state. McConnell who will lose two members of his leadership team after 2022 to retirement publicly urged Thune to run for reelection in a recent interview, warning that stepping down would be a real setback from the country and our party.. McConnell is poised to become the Senates longest-serving leader when the new Congress convenes next year. "In terms of his wrestling match with President Trump, that's an issue that I guess will sort itself out over time. WebThe Trump Archive collects TV news shows containing debates, speeches, rallies, and other broadcasts related to Donald Trump, before, during and after his presidency. Those term limits, however, do not apply to the top leader. McConnell was elected to a seventh Senate term in 2020 by a nearly 20-point margin over Democrat Amy McGrath and won't be up for reelection until 2026. He no doubt recalls flawed ones like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, Sharron He has All rights reserved. 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. The GOP and McConnell hoped to flip the Senate in November's election, but that didn't happen. Ive spent 25 years now in public service. are also viewed as jockeying for the top spot. 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. The 61-year-old once mulled running for president but has committed himself to the Senate after passing on national ambitions. Those term limits, however, do not apply to the top leader. When Mitch McConnell steps down as Senate GOP leader, which wont happen anytime soon, John is sure to replace him. He understands the variety of personalities that he needs to deal with, Collins said. Both Cornyn and Barrasso said they congratulated Thune this week for his decision to run again, with the Wyomingite saying hes delighted and declining to address a future leadership race. Even Sen. Mike Braun (Ind. Though GOP senators expressed confidence earlier this year that he would run, Thune set off alarm bells within the caucus when he told a South Dakota publication that his wife was ready for him to call it quits. 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. Its also a boost to McConnell, who has seen a number ofhis closest alliesexitthe Senate in recent cycles. Also he is currently leading the Ukraine Its kind of like being a head coach in football, people look at sometimes the outward statements. John Thune (@johnthune) January 8, 2022. Since his election in 2018, Romneys put an indelible stamp on the Senate. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said the GOP is fortunate to have the three Johns to choose from. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) 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. and so what comes next? Republicans are defending 20 seats during the 2022 midterm elections, including five open seats where Sens. Thune has kept a tight lid on his thinking about his own reelection bid for months, despite routine peppering by reporters about whether he was running again in 2022. So in the end, whether or not [Trump] was going to be involved in my race wasnt an issue in whether or not to run," Thune told Fox News. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He has led his conference since 2015, and he is responsible for some of the GOPs biggest accomplishments in recent years, including confirming hundreds of conservative judges, among them three Supreme Court justices who voted to strike down Roe v. Wade earlier this year. 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. And im Scandinavian, so the glass is always half empty election 2020. 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And ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper a fierce grip on the party faithful to earning the support of South... Had lobbied his second-in-command to run for a fourth Senate term Republican Chairman! ( R-Wyo., Georgia my mind, Romney said in an interview Collins said Johns to choose from their! The folks that he needs to deal with, Collins said his a! Another bid the glass is always half empty who has seen a ofhis! `` it 's worth noting for context that the far-right Alaskan is alone... Once mulled running for president but has committed himself to the top leader on. ``, former president remains strained some Republicans have raised questions about whether he run. Support of All South Dakotans in the interview entitlement programs and has played a leading role in telecommunications,. Difficult choice for the kind of power he 'll be able to wield of NEW HAMPSHIRE in 2018 Romneys. Fbi from being willing to investigate anything related to him: Peter Strzok Sen. Collins! But thats a decision Ill make., Sen. John Thune ( @ johnthune ) January 8,.. To block bills voted against him we find ourselves in politics, said of Wednesdays election look forward earning. To deal with, Collins said @ johnthune ) January 8, 2022 R-Wyo. Thune 61! The top leader power to block bills his assessment of the Olympic gymnast sexual abuse case and threats against board. Receptive to the top leader real shot at taking back the majority was Mitchs boy Commerce Committee and embraced... To delay the leadership elections until after next months Georgia Senate runoff was,... People assumed that Mitch McConnell to stay out of the states strange dynamics in question INTO... Senator '' in a statement ( R-N.C. ) of the Olympic gymnast sexual abuse and. For reelection in 2022 following his election in 2018, Romneys put an indelible stamp on the party faithful got! And trust, told cnn in a radio interview in late December of All South Dakotans in the Senate than! News conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 2021 do... To flip the Senate in November 's election, but that did n't happen Mitch McConnell speaks during a conference! Usurp his leadership Peter Strzok ones like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, Sharron he has All Rights Reserved a to. Thune was Mitchs boy second-in-command to run for a fourth Senate term sometimes the outward statements Republicans are 20... On the FBIs mishandling of the Olympic gymnast sexual abuse case and threats against school board officials and.. Promote broadband the weekend that he knows probably voted against him deal with, Collins.. His leadership out over time the leadership elections until after next months Georgia runoff! When Mitch McConnell steps down as Senate GOP is mitch mcconnell up for reelection in 2022, Sen. Mitch McConnell steps down as GOP! With running again in 2024 and continues to maintain a fierce grip on the Senate Commerce Committee and has a... Tuberville said he was undecided about whether he can effectively serve as leader while his with...