The leader of Senate Republicans’ political campaign arm is being encouraged by former President Donald Trump to jump into the race to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) upon his retirement after the 2024 elections.
POLITICO reports that Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is Trump’s pick to lead his caucus out of the wilderness and into a governing majority next year. Even more revealing was that the encouragement came before McConnell announced his looming retirement on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with a call between the two Republicans.
Daines said he “thanked” President Trump for his advocacy but isn’t taking his focus away from making sure Senate Republicans do well in November.
“I told [Trump] the most important thing I can do this moment is to make sure we have a Senate majority in November,” Daines said.
Given President Trump’s outsize influence over the party he intends to lead again, observers expect the MAGA wing of the Senate will field a candidate to challenge Sen. John Coryn (R-TX), the number three Republican and a top ally to McConnell who announced his bid on Thursday. Who that will be remains to be seen; Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who lost a challenge to McConnell in 2022, has already indicated that he will sit out this leadership race.
“It’s important that whoever is the Republican leader has a relationship with the Republican president,” Sen. Scott told reporters Thursday.
Although Cornyn is among the “three Johns” who serve as McConnell deputies and who have endorsed Trump, allies to the former president say Daines stand out because he announced his support in April of 2023, significantly earlier.
Another, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), may yet jump into the race and commands his own sway among some of his colleagues.
“I just don’t think his opinion makes any difference. And that’s not to discount how formidable he is about his views. It’s just to say ‘Hey, man, here’s who we think is best reflective of the Senate,’” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who is supporting Barrasso for leader. “Daines is great. But I don’t know if that will matter to Daines or anyone else.”
Daines and Trump has worked together, carefully picking candidates this cycle who fit the MAGA mold but also stand the best chance of winning, according to the media outlet. Among them is Kari Lake, the former Arizona candidate for governor who will now go on to challenge Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) if she wins her Republican primary later this year.
