Cornyn becomes first ‘John’ to announce bid for Senate Republican leader

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) broke the race to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wide open on Thursday when he announced he would run for Republican leader this fall.

Cornyn, the former Senate majority whip, is one of the “three Johns” most likely to replace McConnell after he steps down in November. He is expected to face competition from Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and John Barrasso (R-WY), the No. 2 and No. 3 Senate Republicans, respectively.

The Texas Republican teased a leadership run on Wednesday, the day McConnell announced he would step down, but he and the other leading contenders gave the minority leader a day of space to celebrate his 17 years atop the Senate Republican Conference.

That changed on Thursday when Cornyn announced he would, in fact, mount a bid.

“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn said in a statement.

His announcement underscored two factors that will play heavily in the race. He told reporters ahead of the launch that he personally called former President Donald Trump to make his intention clear, a sign of the influence the former president has both over the party and who will become the next Senate leader.

Cornyn, who endorsed Trump in January as it became clear he would once again be the Republican nominee for president, emphasized his working relationship with Trump during his four years in the White House, despite previously calling for the party to move past him once he lost in 2020.

The former Republican whip also vowed to “improve communication, increase transparency, and ensure inclusion,” an implicit rebuke of McConnell’s leadership style that is directly tailored to the hard-line Republicans who have long agitated for change.

“We will restore the important role of Senate committees and reestablish the regular appropriations process, rather than lurch from one crisis to another,” Cornyn said. “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.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is surrounded by reporters as he heads to the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The hard-line Republicans may put forward a candidate of their own, perhaps Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who failed to unseat McConnell from the post in 2022.

Thune, who has been McConnell’s whip since 2019, is considered the early favorite in the race to succeed him. But Cornyn, an adviser to the minority leader, would bring to the role a depth of experience, too.

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Cornyn has served in the chamber since 2002 and, in that time, has taken leadership roles, including two terms as the head of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm.

“I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership,” Cornyn said in the statement. “Throughout my time I’ve built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause.”

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