WASHINGTON — Republicans in the U.S. Senate face a major decision for their chamber and the national party just after Election Day as they choose a recent leader.
Once the dust of the election has settled and the balance of power in the Senate has been resolved, senators will gather behind closed doors to decide who will lead their conference. In January, this person will assume one of the more crucial and influential roles in the U.S. government and become a prominent figure in messaging and fundraising for the Republican Party.
Texas Senator John Cornyn, Florida Senator Rick Scott and South Dakota Senator John Thune have all publicly announced they are running for the post. Thune is currently the minority leader, the second-largest Republican leader in the Senate, and before him Cornyn held the post of leader.
The lawmaker, who is securing the support of his colleagues, will replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has led his party since 2007 through three presidencies, numerous votes on relief packages for natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, two impeachment trials and the insurrection of January 6th.
McConnell, who served as majority leader when Republicans controlled the Senate, was at the center of dozens of crucial negotiations and ensured his position was a boon for his home state of Kentucky.
The Republican who takes his seat will have to navigate choppy political seas in the coming years as the GOP continues to cling to the Reagan-era policies that many still value while adapting to the kind of conservatism that the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump represents.
States Newsroom interviewed Republican senators to find out what qualities they think the next GOP leader will need to have to earn their vote and what challenges that person will face in the coming years.
While only one senator would volunteer to comment on a favorite candidate, many said they were interested in a leader who values moving legislation through the chamber, listens carefully to members and builds close relationships with what will hopefully be the Trump administration.
Looking for a workhorse
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he was looking for a “competent” Republican leader who would listen to members and work behind the scenes.
“I don’t want to see leaders in TV commercials, I don’t want to see them in Senate races, I don’t want them to be the deciding factor days before an election,” Hawley said. “I want someone who is a workhorse and will work with members to achieve our priorities and then get things done.”
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said the next GOP leader should stick to conservative priorities while being able to negotiate bipartisan agreements during what is expected to be a divided government. Democrats narrowly control the Senate, but Republicans are expected to potentially win a majority in the election.
“I would like to have someone who can be strong in the face of adversity, make a strong argument and not be afraid to take it to the other side if necessary, but then also someone who can come into the room and negotiate “When things get difficult,” she said.
Capito acknowledged that the outcome of the presidential election could have an impact on who becomes the next Republican leader.
“[It] It just depends on who wins,” she said.
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said his choice will be “the most important vote I make.”
“You vote for the president, that’s important, but my vote is one of 150 million votes or whatever. But this vote will be one of hopefully 53, so I think it carries a lot of weight,” Marshall said. “And I think it’s really important that we elect a majority leader who has the same priorities as, hopefully, President Trump.”
Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty said the overarching criteria for the next GOP leader is his “ability to get along well with President Trump and the new administration.”
“The first 100 days will count, and we need to coordinate very well to ensure we are successful,” Hagerty said.
There is no guarantee that voters will elect Trump as the next president in this year’s presidential election. The next Republican leader in the Senate could end up working with an administration led by the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
That would require the candidate chosen by Republican senators to walk a tightrope in voting on Cabinet secretary confirmation, judicial nominees, passing legislation and possibly a Supreme Court nominee.
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he reviews candidates based on who is the smartest, most strategic, patient and inclusive.
That person, Kennedy said, must also be “willing to test his assumptions against the arguments of his critics and to ask God for money when necessary.” McConnell is known as a great fundraiser for Republicans.
Influence as chairman
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, said she would vote for the candidate who was willing to devote significantly more speaking time to debating and voting on bipartisan legislation.
“I think this is a real problem,” Collins said. “I want us to go back to the days when the power rested with the committee chairs. And if they and their senior members are able to present a bill, it will be put up for discussion.”
Collins, a moderate in a Senate conference full of more conservative members, said she wants the next Senate Republican leader to recognize “that we are a big tent party and that we need to be inclusive in our approach.”
North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, the top Republican on the Senate farm appropriations subcommittee, said he wanted a GOP leader to follow “regular order on appropriations.”
“We get them through committee on bipartisan votes, but they don’t get a floor,” Hoeven said of the dozens of annual government funding bills. “We have to bring them to the floor, there has to be an amendment process, and we have to respond to the bills and vote on the bills again, and that’s called regular order.” And I think that’s the biggest key for our next leader that he is capable of doing this.”
Alabama Senator Katie Britt has begun speaking with the candidates and is assessing their plans for the Senate schedule, particularly for bringing the annual government funding bills up for debate and amendment.
“I want to know how we can get the approval process running again. Like how we’re actually going to move the ball down the field with it,” Britt said. “I want to know how we can actually encourage the committees and the committee process.”
Britt, ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, expressed frustration at the amount of time spent confirming judicial nominees, something both New York Democrat Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader McConnell have championed.
Senate procedures are much more time-consuming than the rules that govern debate in the House. It can take weeks for legislation to get through the filibuster process, in which 60 votes are required for bills to pass and leaders must negotiate which amendments are allowed to be voted on.
Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate is also responsible for reviewing and confirming executive branch nominees, such as Cabinet secretaries, as well as judicial nominees. With a recent president, 2025 will mean a lot of confirmation votes.
“When we have a leader who really knows how to lead, they put forward budget proposals and figure out how to encourage the members,” Britt said, adding: “A feeble leader consolidates all the power, and that’s it “Unfortunately, that’s what I think we have right now when it comes to Chuck Schumer.”
“Get things done”
Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said whoever he votes for will have to “manage to get things done, get things done, get things done.”
“We need to be able to get our committees up and running and initiate, negotiate and implement legislation,” Lankford said.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said whoever becomes the next GOP leader will need to be able to communicate well with senators.
That person “has to be someone who has a strategy and definitely knows how to work the soil. And that includes fundraising.”
Arkansas Sen. John Boozman said his vote will go to the person he believes can best build consensus and listen to members, although he has not yet decided which of the three candidates he will support becomes.
“I’m a real undecided guy,” Boozman said. “I think the reality is that most members just want to get the election over with. Until then, they don’t want to deal with it.”
Boozman said the results of the battle for control of the Senate in November’s elections could influence which candidate he and his colleagues select to lead the next Congress.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said the next GOP leader should be in tune with Republican voters and the issues crucial to them.
“It’s someone who I think has an affinity with our voters and is in touch with them,” Rubio said.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley declined to list all the qualities he believes the next leader needs, saying he doesn’t want any of the three to sway his choice.
“I don’t want to tell you that, because that’s what I told all three people that came into my office: ‘I’m not going to tell any of you.’ You are all friends of mine. “You won’t know who I’m voting for,” Grassley said. “And when I answer your question, they’ll start figuring out who I’m going to vote for.”
Grassley said the next leader’s first major challenge will be to negotiate a tax bill in 2025 that addresses expiring elements of the 2017 Republican tax law.
Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said character matters when deciding who he votes for, but said he hasn’t drawn up a scoresheet yet.
“I’ll have an idea of who I’m voting for before the November election,” Moran said. “The qualities that I think are important would be important regardless of the makeup of the House, the Senate and the White House.”
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson endorsed Scott for GOP leader, saying he preferred someone who previously served as governor and worked in the private sector. He was the only senator interviewed by States Newsroom to reveal his vote, which is conducted by secret ballot.
He said Scott is “ready to tackle difficult problems.”
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Republicans had “a lot of good options” among the three men and that he wanted someone who could spread the GOP message.
