Asked if hell be crisscrossing the country this year, helping fellow Republicans in Senate elections, Thune said "if its helpful. 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. Mitch McConnell wont become Senate majority leader again. What that means for his power Mitch McConnell wont become Senate majority leader again. What that means for his power 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. Feb. 24, 2022 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything What Bidens FHA mortgage fee cut means for buyers. And timing could be everything: Thune is subject to the same six-year term limits as whip that rotated Cornyn out of the spot. ), who backed Scott, gave McConnell credit for acknowledging the concerns raised about his leadership style. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Samuel Corum/Getty Images The South Dakotan usually sides with his leadership but broke with McConnell and voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill this fall. I have not heard anybody say anything negative, he added. Also he is currently leading the Ukraine 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. 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.". Nov 16, 2022, 01:06 PM EST | Updated Nov 16, 2022. The GOP and McConnell hoped to flip the Senate in November's election, but that didn't happen. He called Thune an "outstanding senator" in a radio interview in late December. 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 I look forward to earning the support of all South Dakotans in the 2022 election for Senate, he continued. The blue-state governor turned GOP presidential nominee turned Senate elder statesman also doesnt need the job, thanks to personal wealth that frees him to look beyond the Senates permanent reelection cycle. "I think he does a good job," he said. Trump, on the other hand, has launched an anti-McConnell campaign and appears determined to oust him from his leadership post. 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? GOP Sen. Tim Scotts office referred CNN to a recent Fox radio interview where the South Carolinian noted his support for the leader. 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. Instead, the former president this week went after Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) Severe Weather 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 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. That means Republicans merely need a net gain of one seat to retake the Senate in November's midterms to regain control of the chamber they lost a year ago when they were narrowly swept in Georgias twin Senate runoffs. 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. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Its kind of like being a head coach in football, people look at sometimes the outward statements. The decision by Senate Minority Whip John Thune to run for reelection sets up an intricate shuffle among a trio of Republicans named John to succeed McConnell. The remarks sparked Trumps ire and the former president fired back that Thune was Mitchs boy. Trump tried toconvince South Dakota Gov. Thune serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and has played a leading role in telecommunications issues, including efforts to promote broadband. 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. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Feb. 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. ", SENATE REPUBLICAN REELECTION ARM HAULS IN A RECORD $104 MILLION LAST YEAR. Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire. All rights reserved. Kristi Noem, a close ally of the former president, to launch a primary challenge against Thune. The other GOP senators who did not respond: Sens. While Trump has seemingly moved on from Thune, hes kept up a long-running, largely one-sided, feud with McConnell. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. 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 theres no more prominent GOP Trump foil these days than Romney. 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. 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. We got a lot of legislation of significant nature through, Romney said in the interview. 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. The gender pay gap has stayed largely unchanged for 20 years. 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. 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.. 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. McConnell, during a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, predicted that Republicans have a great cycle with a good chance of getting the majority back., The atmosphere is terrible [for Democrats], he added. 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. ", But he asked and answered his own question, saying, "Was his potential influence in my race a factor? Daily News Update And with the former president weakened, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, no fan of Trump himself, is among the top Republicans exhorting Romney to After all, a net gain of just a single Senate seat will make the Kentuckian the majority leader again. McConnell made his statement a few days after his top deputy, Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D. And, what can be accomplished?. on Tuesday said no ones making a move to replace McConnell. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) "In the end it came down to this is where you can make a difference and I cant think of a more important time right now to be in the arena," he explained. Im running for the US Senate to stand up for you, just like when I stood next to President Trump and supported his American First agenda, said Jane Timken, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party who announced Thursday she would seek the states open Senate seat in 2022. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mitch McConnell won't become Senate majority leader. 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. Thats the nature of Utah politics, said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) of the states strange dynamics. But he caught flack from former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) 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. 3 Senate GOP leader whom Republicans believe is likely to ascend to the whip job first as Cornyn and Thune compete to succeed McConnell. In August, Mitch McConnell told a hard truth . 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. 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. 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. Legal Statement. Republican senators say none of McConnell's possible heirs apparent - neither Thune nor Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) 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. 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. Two Trump-backed Senate candidates have said they won't support Mitch McConnell for What will it take to close it? 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. After one unsuccessful Senate bid in 2002, Thune knocked off the top Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, in 2004. 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. John Thune of South Dakota serves as the No. Johns a cautious man. They may be surprised. hide caption. McConnell said it "would be real setback for the party and for the country if he retired and I certainly hope he won't.". 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. The gender pay gap has stayed largely unchanged for 20 years. ), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) are retiring. Link Copied! Noem said on Twitter shortly after that Thune was a friend and she would not run against him. Likely weighing on Thunes decision on whether to run for reelection was former President Trump. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". Reach reporter Morgan Watkins at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images. Sens. 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. McConnell-allied groups took the opposite tack, seeking initially to boost more traditional establishment-type Republicans. The "America First" reference was not accidental: Tshibaka is backed by Donald Trump, who's repeatedly vowed to defeat Murkowski for failing to show him sufficient loyalty. CNN In August, Mitch McConnell told a hard truth . In theory, this could prove to be trivial, especially if far-right candidates balking at McConnell come up short in primaries or in general elections. Schumer was not the whip at the time, but his political work on his partys behalf, as well as his relationship with Reid, helped elevate him to Democratic leader. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. McConnell confirmed on Tuesday that hell seek to remain GOP Senate leader after Novembers midterms. Senate Republicans, who are close allies of the former president, urged Thune to run and not to worry about a Trump-field primary challenge. 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. Environmental justice investors: Its the demand-side, stupid! What will it take to close it? The filing deadline was January 25, 2022. Romney stayed neutral during his colleague Sen. Mike Lees (R-Utah) reelection campaign, as his friend Evan McMullin ran against Lee as an independent. The country this year, helping fellow Republicans in Senate elections, Thune said `` if its helpful as no. Tillis ( R-N.C. ) of the spot said no ones making a move to replace McConnell the election! To the whip job first as Cornyn and Thune compete to succeed McConnell not respond Sens... Bid in 2002, Thune said `` if its helpful largely unchanged 20... Pm EST | Updated nov 16, 2022, 01:06 PM EST | Updated nov,. 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