Tipsheet

One Member Has Already Stepped Forward to Replace Mitch McConnell

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  February 29, 2024 12:00 PM

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced on Wednesday that he would be stepping down as the Republican leader in November, his ally Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) had said "I think today is about Mitch McConnell, but I've made no secret of my intentions." Less than 24 hours later, Cornyn announced he's indeed in the running to replace McConnell, making him the first member to publicly declare. 

Cornyn has served as Senate Majority Whip, and was also chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), during which Republicans "shrunk Democrats' majority by give seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014."

Cornyn's statement also highlighted how "the Senate is broken," though he also believes "the good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it."

As for what he plans to do, Cornyn's statement highlighted how "We will improve communication, increase transparency, and insure inclusion of every Member's expertise and opinion. We will restore the important role of Senate committees and reestablish the regular appropriations process, rather than lurch from one crisis to another. And we will return power back to our members; there will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment."

The reaction from social media towards Cornyn's announcement has not been great so far, with many declaring him a "RINO" as well as "worse than McConnell" in addition to "the worst possible pick."

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Cornyn spoke to former and potentially future President Donald Trump about his decision. His statement also mentions helping Trump "advance his agenda through the Senate" when it comes to tax reform and confirming judges and Supreme Court justices, as he also mentioned to CNN's Manu Raju. 

It may be telling, though, that Trump and Cornyn did not discuss whether Cornyn has his support, since Trump wanted to know who was running. 

Many, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an Independent, have come out to publicly say they think the far younger Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) should be the next Republican leader. 

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who challenged McConnell for his leadership position after the 2022 midterm elections, has also been floated as a name. Many reports have highlighted the three Johns to watch for. In addition to Cornyn, we have Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY). Per POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Thune has gone about "quietly launching his campaign," while there's no expected announcement today from Barrasso. 

Cornyn made news and found himself trending over X even before Thursday's announcement, as he engaged with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over his talk of Cornyn having to contend with a primary for 2026. The senator responded with a quoted repost of Paxton, declaring "Hard to run from prison, Ken," with such a post drawing strong and numerous reactions. Paxton has since issued a poll from his account about Cornyn asking users if they think Cornyn is "conservative enough to lead Republicans in the Senate."