Cornyn launches bid to replace Mcconnell
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday officially launched his bid to replace Mitch Mcconnell as the GOP leader in the Senate, a post the Texas Republican has made no secret about wanting.
Cornyn, a close ally of Mcconnell's, issued a statement vowing to fix a "broken" Senate and touting a long record of leadership in the party, including helping to advance the former President Donald Trump's agenda through the Gop-controlled chamber as Republican whip.
The four-term senator vowed to restore regular order “rather than lurch from one crisis to another” and to do away with “backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment.”
“The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it,” Cornyn said. “From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not, and I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic.”
Mcconnell, who turned 82 last week, announced Wednesday he plans to step down in November after nearly two decades as a Senate leader. Cornyn is the first to formally declare his bid for the leadership post, though others are expected to jump into the race and Cornyn could face obstacles.
It's a particularly at a tumultuous time for the Republican party as more conservative members, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, have been increasingly forceful in agitating against Mcconnell. It is unclear how quickly those farright members would line up to support someone as closely aligned with the longtime leader as Cornyn, who has been one of Mcconnell's top lieutenants for years. Cornyn also helped negotiate the first new gun laws in decades, which tightened some background checks, among other things, and drew significant blowback from Texas Republicans. Cornyn received a chorus of boos from GOP faithful at the state party convention in 2022.
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, could add another hurdle for the Texas Republican.
The two have at times had a tense relationship. While Cornyn has endorsed Trump's White House bid and attended recent fundraisers for the former president's campaign, he previously said the party should find another candidate to challenge President Joe Biden, arguing Trump's time had passed. Trump, in turn, has repeatedly called Cornyn a RINO, or Republican in name only.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of Trump's, has already started rallying against Cornyn's leadership effort, writing on social media that “Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator.” Cornyn responded: “Hard to run from prison, Ken,” referencing Paxton's ongoing legal troubles.
Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday that he had spoken with Trump about his intentions to run, but the two did not talk about whether Trump would support his bid.
“I've had a couple of good conversations with him most recently yesterday, telling him my intention, told him that I had worked with him when I was the majority whip for four years and worked very successfully, in my opinion, with him and his team, and I look forward to doing that again,” Cornyn said, according to CNN.
Cornyn, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is expected to face off against at least two other candidates: U.S. Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and John Barrasso of Wyoming. Thune is the current minority whip under Mcconnell.
Cornyn said in his statement announcing his bid that he has “learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership.”
He touted two terms as chair of the Senate GOP'S fundraising arm, when he said he help the party shrink Democrats' majority by five seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014. He also pointed to his time as Republican whip, helping pass the Trump tax cuts and get two conservative Supreme Court justices confirmed.
“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,” Cornyn said.