Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) nominated Sen. Mitch McConnell for reelection as GOP leader after a motion to postpone the leadership election was quashed during a Wednesday meeting among members of the conference.
The motion to postpone the Senate leadership election failed by a reported vote count of 32-16. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) put forward the motion, which Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) supported.
The election is still scheduled to proceed Wednesday. After the motion to delay was squashed, Cotton and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) nominated McConnell for reelection, according to NBC News.
McConnell is pitted against challenger Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who said he is running against McConnell to upend the status quo. Scott was reportedly nominated by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) speaks during a news conference after a closed-door lunch with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“If you simply want to stick with the status quo, don’t vote for me,” Scott stated. “Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values… That is why I am running to be Republican Leader.”
Hours later, McConnell stated he had the votes to be reelected. If McConnell is reelected, he would be the longest-serving Senate party leader in history.
The vote is expected to be held Wednesday afternoon by a secret ballot and behind closed doors. Scott needs to win a simple majority of GOP senators.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.