Republican senators were poised Wednesday to pick a new majority leader, a major decision that could offer some clues about how Washington will work in the incoming second administration of President-elect Trump.
The GOP leaders were gathering behind closed doors to choose via secret ballot between South Dakota’s John Thune, John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
The winner will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, who ruled over the GOP caucus of the upper chamber for two decades.
There is no clear favorite in part because many of the 53 lawmakers are not saying how they plan to vote.
Trump has not publicly endorsed anyone.
Newly reelected Scott is framing himself as the closest ally of Trump, which could give him an edge. But he lost an insurgent challenge to McConnell last year, reportedly garnering only about 10 votes.
There are no obvious ideological differences between Thune and Cornyn, both of whom have been establishment conservatives and lieutenants of McConnell for years.
The senators vote by secret ballot. If no one gets a majority, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and a new vote will be held until someone wins.
It will be the first test of Trump’s relationship with Congress after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris and claiming a mandate for his far right-wing agenda, some of which will need the support of Congress.
Republicans are also expected to hold control of the House of Representatives, although by a narrow margin.
That would give Trump and the GOP unified control of the government, along with the pliant support of a conservative-dominated Supreme Court.
Thune and Cornyn have campaigned mostly within the Senate, working senators individually and privately and raising millions of dollars for Senate GOP candidates. Both sprung into action last spring after McConnell announced he would step aside from leadership.
Scott has run a much more public-facing campaign, touting endorsements from MAGA allies including billionaire Elon Musk.
There could also be regional divisions with Thune potentially garnering more support in the Great Plains and farm states while Cornyn and Scott may battle for backing in the Sun Belt.
The Senate pick could set the tone for Trump’s attempts to assert more control over the legislative branch in his second presidency. Some senators may be wary of ceding too much power, particularly since Trump has occasionally veered far from conservative orthodoxy, especially on economic policy.
Trump always had a rocky relationship with McConnell, and Trump was often frustrated that lawmakers would not fully bend to his will.
Both Cornyn and Thune are viewed by their colleagues as institutionalists in the mold of McConnell, although they have gone the extra mile to ingratiate themselves with Trump and his MAGA allies in recent months.
All three candidates have shown they will defer to the incoming president as the leader of the party, and that they are willing to cede some of the Senate’s power to do so.
They all quickly said they would allow Trump to appoint Cabinet members and others without Senate confirmation votes after the incoming president tweeted that they “must agree” to do so.
