Republican officially enters the race to replace Mitch McConnell as GOP leader after supporting Trump in court
Senator Rick Scott has jumped into the Republican Party’s Senate race in an effort to replace the old-fashioned, neoconservative Mitch McConnell with a more Trumpist kind of leader.
“I believe this is the moment when we need dramatic change,” Scott wrote in a letter to Dear Colleague, arguing that voters want them to use the leadership election to “overthrow the status quo in Washington.”
He will face GOP Whip John Thune and former Whip John Cornyn. Former President Donald Trump, a longtime McConnell antagonist, has not yet thrown his weight into the race.
Scott is the only one of the three to appear during Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
“Far too many backroom deals are made in secret, matters rarely go through the committee process, and it is accepted practice not to allow amendments on trillions of dollars in expenditures,” Scott continued.
Scott, the former governor of Florida, is known to work closely with the right-wing Freedom Caucus of the House of Representatives.
Scott posted a photo with former President Donald Trump the night before he announced he would run for the top spot in the Republican Senate Conference
“We rarely work with Republicans in the House of Representatives,” he said. “We often take votes that unite Democrats and divide us.”
In March, Scott met Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home.
In a shocking speech in March, McConnell announced he would not seek re-election in November. He has led the GOP Senate Conference since 2007.
Scott was the only opponent to run against McConnell for the leadership position in 2022. He lost and received only 10 votes.
Another conservative thought in the race was that Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the third-ranking GOP senator, also withdrew from running for leader and opted for whip instead.
“After much consideration, I will ask my colleagues for their support and help to work for them as Assistant Republican Leader.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also will not run for Republican leader.
A source confirmed to DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Cotton would run for GOP Senate Conference chairman, the third-highest leadership position in the caucus.
Scott’s bid makes him the third Republican to officially enter the race.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was the first to state this his run for leader following McConnell’s announcement last week.
“I ask my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn wrote in a statement Thursday. “I learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership.”
He said the Senate is broken, but it can be fixed and he wants to play a role in that.
“During my time, I built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus while leading the fight to stop bad policies that harm our nation and the conservative cause,” Cornyn continued.
The Texas senator previously served in the Senate leadership as a whip and as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
McConnell is the longest-serving Senate leader in US history, having held the post since 2007
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (center) announced last week that he would not run for Republican leadership in November. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., (second from left) and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (second from right) announced they are in the running to replace him.
Senator John Thune announced Monday that he will become the next Republican leader in the Senate, after former leader Mitch McConnell announced he would not seek re-election.
Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota are considered the ‘three Johns’
Another candidate, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the second most powerful Republican in the Senate after McConnell, has announced he is running for the top Republican leadership position.
‘Well, I hope so too [leader]and I’m going to do everything I can to convince my colleagues,” Thune told a South Dakota news station.
“For me, it’s really about wanting to be a difference maker,” Thune said Dakota news now. ‘I think I can contribute something to that.’
“In my eyes, this is an opportunity for a reset and I would like to be part of that.”
Steve Daines, R-Mont., is also rumored to be considering running for the role of Republican leader.