WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is running for the GOP Senate leadership post after Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday he was stepping down from the top spot in November.
“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 Thursday. “… 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.
“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.”
Cornyn, a former GOP Senate whip, is one of three likely contenders to succeed McConnell.
Cornyn, 72, has not hidden his ambition for the top Republican Senate spot, and the “three Johns” — as he and likely leadership candidates Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso, R-Wy., are known — have been jockeying behind the scenes for months waiting for McConnell’s decision.
Asked about his plans to run for leader Wednesday after McConnell announced his departure, Cornyn repeated to reporters what he has said for more than a year about his interest in succeeding the Senate GOP leader: “I have made no secret of my intentions.”
Cornyn issued a statement Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, extolling McConnell, but the Texan did not tip his hand on whether he would be seeking the leadership position.
“As the longest serving Senate leader in American history, Mitch McConnell has made an indelible mark on this institution and the Republican Party,” Cornyn wrote in the post. “Leader McConnell protected the Senate’s essential role under the Constitution. He cares deeply about the rules and traditions of this body – ones that have worked in the past and will continue to work so long as we let them. Our friend from Kentucky is a rare example of what a public servant should be: pragmatic, knowledgeable, humble, and effective.”
By contrast, Thune in a statement thanked McConnell for his service and effectively announced he was running to replace him.
“For decades, he’s been a fierce defender of the Senate, our conference, and our party, and we’re all better for his service. Mitch leaves enormous shoes to fill, and it’s with humility that I look forward to having a discussion with my colleagues about what the future holds for the Senate Republican Conference and a new generation of leadership.”
Barrasso told reporters after McConnell’s announcement: “That election is nine months away, and there is a much more important election between now and then. And that’s the election that we need to take the presidency, and the Senate, and the House and that’s where my focus is right now.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Sen. John Cornyn announces bid for GOP Senate leadership position
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