Sen. John Cornyn of Texas became the first Republican Thursday to formally declare his intention to succeed outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as the No. 1 GOPer in the upper chamber.
Cornyn, 72, is one of three Johns — along with Thune of South Dakota and Barrasso of Wyoming — who became immediate co-favorites to take over for McConnell (R-Ky.) following the 82-year-old’s shock announcement Wednesday that he’ll step down as the Republican leader after the November elections.
“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell. I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership,” Cornyn said in a statement.
“I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone. The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it.”
Cornyn, who served for six years as the Senate’s Republican whip — the No. 2 position behind McConnell — phoned former President Donald Trump to apprise him of his plans.
Trump has not yet endorsed any potential replacement to McConnell, with whom he’s had a notoriously tenuous relationship. The two men are not believed to have spoken to each other in at least three years.
Cornyn, meanwhile, endorsed Trump for president last month.
In addition to Cornyn, Barrasso and Thune, the list of potential contenders for the Senate Republican leadership include Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.).
Another possible aspirant, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), mounted an unsuccessful bid to depose McConnell following the 2022 midterm elections..
By making his plans to step down known almost nine months out from the Senate GOP leadership elections and with no obvious heir apparent in place, McConnell is giving his conference ample time to hash out new leadership amongst itself.
In his pitch to colleagues, Cornyn touted his record as whip helping to push Trump’s agenda through the upper chamber, including the nominations of three Supreme Court justices and the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
“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,” the Texan 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.”
“We will restore the important role of Senate committees and reestablish the regular appropriations process, rather than lurch from one crisis to another,” Cornyn pledged. “There will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review.”
McConnell said Wednesday that once his replacement as leader is chosen, he will serve out his current term, which ends in January 2027, as a back-bencher. He gave no indication of whether he would run for office again in 2026.
Having started in the Senate at the height of the Ronald Reagan era in 1985, McConnell’s transition into the Trump era has seen him increasingly at odds with some of the GOP’s more populist members, such as Josh Hawley of Missouri and JD Vance of Ohio.
Last year, McConnell overtook Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield to be the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.