Will Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn be the next Republican Leader in the Senate?
Fresh off election wins across the country, Republican U.S. senators will soon pick whether they want Sen. John Cornyn of Texas as their leader.
Cornyn is running for Republican Leader against Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who serves as Senate Republican whip. Senators are expected to vote by secret ballot on Wednesday to decide who they want in the leadership role.
Cornyn announced his bid in February after Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he was stepping down from the post. At the time, there had been speculation that Cornyn, who served as Republican Whip from 2013 to 2019, would seek the leadership position.
“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 in a February statement.
Once new members are sworn in following the Nov. 5 election, the winner will oversee a Republican-controlled Senate with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House. Republicans are positioned to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives as votes continue to be tallied.
Thune is somewhat a front-runner.
“I think the expectation is that Thune will win that position,” said SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson. “But if Cornyn were elected Majority Leader, it means that every decision about how the Senate runs — from where bills are assigned to how they come to the floor to receive consideration on final passage, how the bills are put together. The majority leader has a role in that.”
Cornyn was not available for an interview on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
He is respected among Republican members of the chamber, Jillson said.
Cornyn was first elected in 2002, and serves on the Finance Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Intelligence Select Committee. Before taking office in Washington, he was a district judge, a Texas Supreme Court Justice and Texas attorney general.
Cornyn played a key role in the passage of bipartisan gun safety legislation in Congress following the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, despite opposition from some within his party.
Trump allies back Rick Scott over Cornyn, Thune
Some Trump allies are backing Scott, including billionaire Elon Musk, who has been growing his presence in Texas.
“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk posted Nov. 10 on X, the social media platform he owns.
Trump hasn’t made an endorsement, but has called on whoever is picked to let him make federal appointments while the Senate is in recess.
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Sunday. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!”
All three Republican Leader candidates are open to Trump’s ask, according to ABC News.
“It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President@realDonaldTrump‘s cabinet appointments,” Cornyn said on X. “If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments. Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”
Locally, some Republicans have opposed the idea of Cornyn serving as Republican Leader.
In a Nov. 11 open letter, Ellis County Republican Party Chairman Randy Bellomy expressed support for Scott.
“The United States Senate must be led by an individual with a consistent conservative voting record who genuinely represents the values and policies advocated by President-elect Trump and supports the America First agenda,” Bellomy said.
Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French shared a Nov. 9 resolution he said was passed by the party’s executive committee.
The resolution rejects Cornyn and supports Scott. The resolution says Cornyn has “stood against Republicans and sided with the Democrats pushing omnibus bills that do not benefit Americans.”
Leadership in the Parker County Republican Party shared a similar sentiment, urging Senate members to “elect a leader such as Rick Scott who has a proven record of leadership and supports the America First agenda” in a Nov. 12 letter.
“President Trump and the American People deserve a majority leader with a proven record of bold leadership and a commitment to true Republican principles,” Chairman Brady Gray and other leaders in the county party said. “As our elected Republican representatives, it is incumbent upon you to choose a leader who reflects the will of the People.”
Cornyn endorsed Trump for president in 2024. Before that in May 2023, he had told reporters that “President Trump’s time has passed him by” and that it was most important that Republicans have a candidate who can win.
He cheered Trump’s general election victory and emphasized times he worked with the former president, including as majority whip. He noted tax reform and the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
“I’m confident President Trump will hit the ground running to restore the Office of the President to what it should be — one that keeps the American people safe and prosperous,” Cornyn said in a Nov. 6 statement. “It is critically important that the Senate is prepared to enact his pro-growth agenda from day one. Come January, we must be ready to confirm his nominees, pass a budget, address our debt, extend the Trump tax cuts, and reverse Kamala Harris’ disastrous border security policies.”
Cornyn’s votes aligned with Trump’s positions about 92% of the time during the former president’s first term, compared to Thune who aligned roughly 91% of the time and Scott who aligned about 84% of the time, according to analysis by 538. Thune took office in 2005 and Scott took office in 2019.
Jillson noted that the Republican leader is elected by secret ballot.
“Which means that what Elon Musk says or even what Donald Trump says might have some influence on ... a few of the Republican senators, but most of those Republican Senators value their own right to make the decision of the person who will lead their caucus,” Jillson said.
Cornyn’s appeal to Senate Republicans
Cornyn addressed the coming Republican Leader election in a Nov. 12 letter to his colleagues.
He stressed that senators should take “swift action” to confirm Trump’s cabinet from “day one.” Cornyn said he’s already spoken with Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and Trump’s team about their priorities.
“It’s imperative that Republicans hit the ground running to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda for the American people,” the letter reads.
Cornyn lays out his priorities for 2025 and beyond. They include:
▪ Reinvesting in a “Senate committee process to drive an aggressive legislative agenda that secures our border, reduces federal spending, boosts our economy, unleashes the nation’s energy potential, and reverses bad Biden-Harris policies.”
▪ Prioritizing Trump’s cabinet and national security nominations.
▪ Prioritizing filling judicial vacancies with “young, conservative nominees, further cementing the President’s lasting legacy in the courts.”
▪ Cornyn said he’s already been in contact with incumbents who are up for election in the next cycle and has committed to working with them to protect the Senate Republican’s majority.
The Senate hasn’t functioned as it should for some time Cornyn said.
“I believe our members and incoming colleagues have the talent, experience, and characted needed to restore the Senate to its fundamental role in our constitutional republic,” Cornyn said in the letter.
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 12:11 PM.
