WASHINGTON (CN) — It’s only been a couple of days since Senate minority leader and longtime Republican stalwart Mitch McConnell announced that he would step down this fall as the upper chamber’s caucus leader, but already speculation is churning about who may take his place.
McConnell, who has held the Senate’s Republican throne since 2007, said Wednesday that he plans to relinquish control of the party in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, the country’s longest-serving caucus leader said it was “time to move on to life’s next chapter” but assured his colleagues that he would remain in Congress as Kentucky’s senior senator.
While affirmations and kind words poured in for McConnell’s tenure as the Senate GOP lead — from Republicans, Democrats and even the White House — battle lines were already beginning to form this week in what could be a contentious fight to replace him.
All eyes are on three senior Republican figures with ties to McConnell: Texas Senator John Cornyn, South Dakota Senator John Thune and Wyoming Senator John Barrasso. Known as the “three Johns,” these lawmakers are seen as the most likely candidates to seize control of the Senate Republican caucus.
All three have also endorsed former President Donald Trump, whose influence over the forthcoming race for party leadership will be nothing if not consequential.
Whoever ends up behind the wheel of the Senate GOP will do so after November’s election, which could prove a critical juncture for Senate Republicans.
If the GOP retakes the White House and wrests control of the upper chamber from Democrats, who hold a slim majority, the caucus head will have significant sway over lawmakers’ policy priorities. Even if President Biden secures a second term, a Republican party leader overseeing a Senate majority would wield serious power.
For now, though, the race to replace McConnell is just getting underway, with Cornyn becoming the first of the trio this week to formally announce his bid for party leadership.
Unveiling his effort in a statement Thursday, the Lone Star State’s senior senator thumped his experience as Senate majority whip, a position he held from 2015 to 2019 under former President Trump. Cornyn cited his work shepherding Trump’s 2017 tax reform bill and two Supreme Court justice nominations through the upper chamber, and framed himself as a consensus builder who has fought to “stop bad policies that are harmful to the conservative cause.”
Cornyn also pointed to his time as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009 to 2013. Under his leadership, he said, the GOP shrunk Democrats’ Senate majority and laid the groundwork for the chamber’s 2014 Republican takeover.
The Texas Republican, who has often criticized the Senate’s Democratic leadership, again painted a dire picture of the upper chamber.
“I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone,” Cornyn wrote. “The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it.”
The lawmaker said that, under his leadership, the Senate would “restore the important role of Senate committees” and pursue what he called a regular government funding process “rather than lurch from one crisis to another.”
“We will return power back to our members,” he said. “[T]here will be no more back room deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate and amendment.”
Cornyn, who has been in the Senate since 2002, is the longest serving of the three Johns. While on Capitol Hill he has been the upper chamber’s Republican majority and minority whip in addition to his tenure as chair of the National Republican Senate Committee.
Before he was elected to the Senate, Cornyn, 72, was the attorney general of Texas, a role he held from 1999 to 2002.
Thune, currently the Senate minority whip and McConnell’s deputy, is another likely candidate. Although he hasn’t formally announced a bid, his status as the party’s No. 2 lawmaker and the forthcoming end of his term as whip put him in a strong position to secure the throne.
Thune, 63, said in a statement Wednesday that McConnell’s departure “leaves enormous shoes to fill.” The lawmaker did not slam the door on the prospect of running as his successor, though, writing that he was looking forward to discussing with colleagues “about what the future holds for the Senate Republican Conference and a new generation of leadership.
The South Dakota Republican is the newest member of the John trio — he joined the Senate in 2021. Thune replaced Cornyn as the upper chamber’s GOP whip in 2019, presiding over both a Republican majority and minority.
Wyoming's Barrasso is the third John expected to throw in for McConnell’s gavel, although he too has yet to say publicly whether he will be a candidate.
Barrasso, 71, is chair of the Senate Republican Conference, making him the third most powerful Senate Republican. The lawmaker, who joined the upper chamber in 2007, is also a staunch conservative and Trump ally. Barrasso was the first of the three Johns to offer his endorsement to the former president as he seeks reelection in 2024.
While the Johns appear to have cornered the market of potential McConnell successors, it is still early days and new candidates may yet emerge. Speculation is swirling around other lawmakers, such as Montana Senator Steve Daines and Florida Senator Rick Scott, who may also be considering a bid for the Senate Republican throne.
Ultimately, it is the upper chamber’s GOP conference that will decide McConnell’s successor in a closed-door vote in November. The triumphant candidate will take the party reins in January 2025.
Until then, McConnell is still very much in charge — a fact he was sure to remind his colleagues of Wednesday.
“I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics,” he said on the Senate floor, “and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they have become accustomed.”
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