Conservative Senators Seek Greater Influence After McConnell’s Departure

A group of conservative Senate Republicans is seeking a significant role in determining the next GOP leader in the chamber, as reported by The Hill on Monday.

Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are spearheading an effort where conservatives have a strong say in selecting the successor to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who recently announced his intention to step down as the Republican leader in November.

“From the conservative perspective, they have been preparing for this since McConnell announced he would serve the remainder of his term, and that was it. That’s the attitude they have,” a Republican strategist familiar with the discussions among Senate conservatives told The Hill.

“There will need to be discussions between the candidates and the conservatives, and I believe Senators John Thune and John Cornyn cannot take their support for granted.”

Senator John Thune from South Dakota, the Senate Republican Whip, and former Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn from Texas are seen as the top contenders to succeed McConnell.

Conservative Senate members, which also include Senators JD Vance of Ohio, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, are advocating for political and procedural reforms that grant them more influence in the leadership of their conference.

The group has largely been unsuccessful in influencing McConnell on significant political and policy decisions.

Both Thune and Cornyn have criticized former President Donald Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who has endorsed Thune as McConnell’s replacement, stated that Trump will have a role in determining the next Senate leader of the party.

“He’s the leading candidate for the Republican Party; he will have a say in it,” Rounds commented on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“The former president will have the chance to influence several of my colleagues, but we also want to maintain a good working relationship with him if he becomes the next President of the United States.”

Senator Scott announced on Friday that he and fellow conservatives will initiate a special conference meeting to establish a plan for replacing McConnell.

“First order of business is that we’ve requested — Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and I, along with some others, have requested — for a conference meeting to determine our objectives,” Scott shared with “The Charlie Kirk Show.“

On Friday, Lee expressed on Twitter: “The future Senate GOP leader should be willing to relinquish discretionary control over committee assignments.”

McConnell has been observed to change committee assignments based on whether specific Senators supported his leadership.