As Republicans seek to take back the majority in the U.S. Senate this fall, an internal battle may be equally as important to the party's future in the next Congress. Texas Sen. John Cornyn is in a battle with South Dakota Sen. John Thune to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader. McConnell announced earlier this year he'll step down from his leadership position after the November election, leaving Cornyn and Thune as the next two in line. So far, Cornyn is winning the fundraising battle--considered a key test for leadership--raising more than $18 million for GOP Senate candidates, to Thune's $13 million. "Thune or Cornyn probably have an inside track (for leader)," says political analyst Chris Begala. "But I would not be surprised if there's some hard push from the right from those saying Cornyn is not conservative enough."
That might be Cornyn and Thune's biggest weakness. Both men are seen as establishment-type Republicans in the mold of McConnell, at a time when Donald Trump has risen to de facto head of the Republican party and voters have grown frustrated with the lack of bold action in the Senate. That is why Begala doesn't believe Cornyn or Thune is a shoo-in at this point, based on the growing battle between conservatives and moderates in the GOP. "I think they may probably ultimately try to find somebody in between," he tells KTRH. "I wouldn't be surprised if Sen. Tim Scott from South Carolina comes up in some discussion."
Sen. Tim Scott is already considered a front-runner for vice president on the Trump ticket, while Florida Sen. Rick Scott has also expressed interest in the Senate leadership position. Whoever ends up winning will be leading during a possible (likely?) second Trump presidency. "(That person) is going to have to heartily endorse the candidacy of Donald Trump," says Begala. "And I'm not saying Cornyn can't do that, but I think he's going to have to swallow hard to be able to do that."
Cornyn has recently warmed to Trump, even endorsing the former president after Trump clinched the GOP nomination. That may have been by design, with this job in mind. "Cornyn is going to want this desperately bad, in my opinion," says Begala. "Minority Leader, or potentially Majority Leader of the Senate, is a pretty good position."
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