How asking the right questions can nudge tax cheats into compliance, Sanders: Senate panel to vote on subpoena for Starbucks CEO, Black Americans more likely to go to emergency departments for mental health care: CDC, High school students pepper-sprayed at anti-racism protest in California, Twitter suspends Mike Lees personal account. But in another respect, Romneys just like any politician: He wants to win. 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. While many Republican senators share McConnells view, others do not and are frustrated with the GOP leader for condemning the former President in harsh terms, arguing his comments have put them in a complicated position. Thanks to Democrats' victory, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is lined up to keep setting the agenda instead. He has been involved in a lot of different issues. 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. GOP senators say they don't 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. I think theres nothing more important right now than recapturing the majority in the Senate because the agenda the Democrats have put forward is a very, very, radical one, completely out of step with where middle America is, and it needs to be stopped its tracks.". ), ended months of speculation by announcing over the weekend that he would run for a fourth Senate term. People respect his intelligence, his assessment of the era we find ourselves in. And I never rule anything out, Thune said in a Tuesday interview. McConnell said it "would be real setback for the party and for the country if he retired and I certainly hope he won't.". (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) He called Thune an "outstanding senator" in a radio interview in late December. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell waits to speak at a press conference, where he called for the United States to 'ratchet-up' sanctions on Russia. Former President Trump speaks at a rally on Sept. 25, 2021, in Perry, Georgia. on Tuesday said no one's making a move to replace McConnell. Thune serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and has played a leading role in telecommunications issues, including efforts to promote broadband. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against.. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) questions U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco as she testifies on renewing and strengthening the Violence Against Women Act during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on October 05, 2021 in Washington, DC. 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. 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. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who chairs the Senate GOP campaign arm, quickly formally endorsed Thune on Saturday, saying in a statement that South Dakotans are lucky to have a conservative fighter like John Thune working for them in the Senate.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. 2 Senate GOP leader and likely successor to Republican leader Mitch McConnell, has announced he will run for reelection in 2022, putting an end to the speculation about the South Dakota senator's political future. Likely weighing on Thunes decision on whether to run for reelection was former President Trump. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) John Thune of South Dakota serves as the No. Lee is expected to remain similarly neutral in a primary if Romney runs again, according to a person familiar with his plans. But McConnells position was never seriously in question going into Wednesdays election. Daily News Update Its a unique sort of a race because you know who the voters are, and its not really influenced by outside influences. The conference members then voted for McConnell to lead them again, which will make him the longest-serving Senate party leader when the new Congress convenes in January. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. 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. And McConnell is willing to put money behind it. 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. But McConnell, who will turn 80 in February, made clear on Tuesday that he doesn't plan to step down from the Senate Republican leader's job anytime soon, despite Trump's pressure. Hes great. As long as he is in the Senate, hes going to want to be the leader, in the minority or the majority, Braun said. 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. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell won't get his old job as Senate majority leader back in January after voters decided to let Democrats keep control of Congress' upper chamber. Samuel Corum/Getty Images Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Wednesday easily won reelection as Senate GOP leader, fending off a conservative challenge led by Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.). And as Cornyn put it: I try to always be prepared., Sen. Mike Mansfields record for leadership longevity, agonized for nearly a year over running again, last leadership change on the Democratic side happened, massive financial transfers to the party committee. Hes been a really important part of our conference. ), ended months of speculation by announcing over the weekend that he would run for a fourth Senate term. 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. are also viewed as jockeying for the top spot. But if you look at how focused [Romney] is on business policy, what a good reputation he has as a member of the conference, Tillis added, hes got all the foundation he needs if he wants to seek re-election.. 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. 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. But I havent made a decision, finally. The Cook Political Report has ranked six races toss-ups: Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, which are each currently held by Democrats, and North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are currently held by Republicans. 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. He has 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. McConnell's successful reelection bid in 2020 centered on how he helps his home state "punch above its weight" compared with heavy-hitters like California. Ive spent 25 years now in public service. 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. Reach reporter Morgan Watkins at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. 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.. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images. Drew Angerer/Getty Images. His negotiating partner and friend Sinema raved over Romney as he makes up his mind: I do like Mitt Romney so much. I think thats the healthiest weve been since Ive been here, Braun told HuffPost. Thune mulled for nearly a year on whether to run for a fourth term representing South Dakota. Now House Republicans are taking over, a potential roadblock to bipartisan legislation hatched by centrists that passes the Senate but divides Republicans. Incoming National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Thune is allowed to serve two more years as the Republican whip before he will be required to step down from the post at the end of 2024 because of the Senate Republican Conferences term-limit rules for leadership posts. GOP Sen. Tim Scotts office referred CNN to a recent Fox radio interview where the South Carolinian noted his support for the leader. After all, a net gain of just a single Senate seat will make the Kentuckian the majority leader again. Hes served on diverse committees. ", "There's going to be somebody like that. I look forward to earning the support of all South Dakotans in the 2022 election for Senate, he continued. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. They don't see what goes on behind the scenes, the organization, the planning, getting people to work together.". McConnell has long stressed electability as the most important trait for his candidates. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a Trump ally and former college football coach, said McConnells doing a good job, shrugging off the former presidents scathing criticism of the leader. Even out of office he has caused headaches for Senate GOP leadership by weighing into fights over the infrastructure bill and the debt ceiling. 2 Senate Republican leader. Once McConnell would make his mind up one way or the other, Im sure there would be a jockeying for that would become quite apparent, he said. Theres no sign McConnell would give a Reid-style boost to either Cornyn or Thune, though he publicly encouraged Thune to run again. Republican senators are trying to stay out of the fray between former President Donald Trump and their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell. What do I want to accomplish? And, what can be accomplished?. "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. 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. Senate Republicans, who are close allies of the former president, urged Thune to run and not to worry about a Trump-field primary challenge. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything related to him: Peter Strzok. 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. But Noem dismissed any bid for Senate and is running for reelection as governor. The remarks sparked Trumps ire and the former president fired back that Thune was Mitchs boy. Trump tried toconvince South Dakota Gov. 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. But it's not as if Barack Obama was actively involved in a campaign to destroy Schumer. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. What will it take to close it? 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. Thefirst big gun reform billto become federal law since 1994, which Congress passed after a gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. 2 Senate Republican leader. 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. Asked if hell be crisscrossing the country this year, helping fellow Republicans in Senate elections, Thune said "if its helpful. Romneys ultimate decision on reelection will say far more about the state of the Republican Party than any other safe red seat. 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. The gender pay gap has stayed largely unchanged for 20 years. The South Dakota Republican, a likely successor to Republican leader Mitch McConnell, says he will run for reelection in 2022, putting an end to the speculation about 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. The Trump Archive launched in January 2017. 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. 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. ', Greece's worst-ever rail crash kills dozens, crushes cars, Westown Association announces Milwaukee Night Market dates, FlyDubai announces record profit as Gulf air travel booms, Southeast's S.P.A.C.E. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything What Bidens FHA mortgage fee cut means for buyers. Ive always promised that I would do the work, even when it was hard, uncomfortable, or unpopular, Thune said in the statement. I always tell my colleagues Ill come out for them or against them, which ever helps them the most. As the no for reelection was former President Trump telecommunications issues, including to. Trump and their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell makes up his mind: i like. 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