Cornyn 1st to seek top GOP post in Senate
WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. John Cornyn has informed his colleagues that he intends to run for Senate Republican leader, becoming the first senator to announce a campaign after Sen. Mitch McConnell said he will step down from the post in November.
Cornyn, who served as McConnell's No. 2 in leadership before he was term-limited out of the job five years ago, cited his experience in that role in a statement Thursday to fellow senators announcing his run. But he also tried to distinguish himself from McConnell, saying, “I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone.”
“From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not,” Cornyn said. “And I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic.”
There has long been speculation that Cornyn, South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso — the “three Johns” — would vie to replace McConnell, R-Ky., if and when McConnell were to step down.
But the longtime leader's surprise announcement on Wednesday that he won't run again for Republican leader after the November elections has jump-started the campaign earlier than expected, almost nine months before GOP senators are expected to gather and choose a new leader behind closed doors.
Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is a prominent member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a popular member of the GOP conference who is seen as a steady hand. He has managed to bridge some of the caucus' deep divides in recent years while also occasionally negotiating with Democrats, as he did on bipartisan gun legislation in 2022.
In his statement, Cornyn said he believes he has “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.”
Cornyn said he would work to improve communication, try to move spending bills individually and make an effort to include every member in decisions. That's a response to frequent complaints from some senators about massive year-end spending bills and McConnell's top-down leadership approach.
Both Thune, the current No. 2 Republican, and Barrasso, the chairman of the Senate GOP conference, have left the door open to runs after McConnell's announcement. Neither has officially announced a campaign for the job.
Thune told reporters that McConnell's departure leaves “big shoes to fill,” but that now is a time “to reflect on his service and to honor him for that. And then we'll we'll go from there.” After Cornyn's announcement, a spokesman for Thune said the senator is reaching out to colleagues to discuss “the future of the Senate Republican Conference and what they would like to see in their next leader,” but intends on keeping those conversations private.
Barrasso said Wednesday he's focused on the November election and getting a Senate majority. In terms of leadership decisions, “I'm going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction they want to take.”
Much of the race for leader is likely to take place through phone calls, one-on-one meetings and private gatherings over the next several months. Unlike the House, where both parties vote for speaker in a public spectacle, Senate party leadership is chosen in closed-door conference meetings by secret ballot.