Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., connected Wednesday won re-election arsenic Senate GOP leader, fending disconnected a situation from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and mounting himself up to go the longest-serving enactment person successful the past of the Senate.
McConnell won a ballot that broke 37-10 and saw 1 legislator abstain, according to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex.
Cruz and respective different GOP senators had called for the ballot to beryllium postponed until aft the Dec. 6 Georgia Senate runoff, but a question to bash that from Cruz failed 32-16 up of the GOP person vote.
"I'm not going anywhere," McConnell said aft the vote, erstwhile asked if helium would see stepping speech aft breaking the grounds of the longest-serving enactment person successful Senate history, precocious Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Mont.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday that helium has the votes to stay Senate GOP leader. (Bloomberg)
Scott announced his candidacy for Republican person successful a Tuesday caucus luncheon and pitched himself arsenic a campaigner to alteration however Senate Republicans operate.
"If you simply privation to instrumentality with the presumption quo, don’t ballot for me," helium said successful a missive to senators.
Scott didn't triumph the election, but Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., who was 1 of his astir vocal backers, said helium believed Scott's candidacy whitethorn person changed how Republicans operate.
"I told person McConnell this has been the healthiest endeavor since I've been present successful presumption of caucus discussion," Braun said. "And Rick successful my caput brought it retired to wherever we made it a discussion."
RICK SCOTT AND MCCONNELL BATTLE FOR GOP LEADER AS SENATORS STEW AFTER MIDTERMS: ‘LOT OF FRUSTRATION’
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., challenged Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for Senate GOP leadership. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Braun added: "I deliberation he's gonna astir apt marque definite that 50 members, depending connected wherever we're at, each of america consciousness similar we're portion of the process. And I deliberation that's healthy."
"Are we going to continue caving successful to Democrats? I anticipation the reply is no. And I anticipation enactment volition deliberation doubly astir it aft this," added Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., a much mean legislator considered an state of leadership, besides said helium believes determination volition beryllium changes from McConnell. But Cramer said the ballot is inactive a reminder of the governmental backing McConnell has.
"I deliberation it validates the person successful a truly large way," helium said. "He intelligibly listened, he's intelligibly consenting to travel our lead."
Cramer indicated that helium did not admit immoderate rhetoric from Scott successful caller days, which attacked McConnell and different Republicans for voting for bipartisan bills, similar the 2021 infrastructure bill.
"I recovered it frustrating that immoderate members would not conscionable trash it, but trash those of america who supported it," Cramer said. "You're getting into my business, my state, what's bully for my conscience and my constituents."
RICK SCOTT ANNOUNCES PLAN TO UNSEAT MITCH MCCONNELL AS TOP REPUBLICAN IN THE SENATE
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has often been re-elected to his station without opposition. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Former President Donald Trump has attacked Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and said that helium should not stay atop the Senate GOP conference. (Associated Press/Michael Wyke)
"When you're talking connected what we collectively request to do, beryllium cautious not to speech astir what ‘we collectively request to hold with maine on,'" helium said.
Still, Cramer said the treatment Wednesday was constructive successful airing members' frustrations and could effect successful "a amended committee process" for specified legislation.
The enactment predetermination comes astatine a tense clip for Republicans, who are reeling from anemic midterm elections. Despite a mediocre system and favorable humanities trends, they took conscionable a miniscule bulk successful the House and failed to triumph the Senate.
Former President Donald Trump announced his 2024 statesmanlike tally Tuesday night, which volition acceptable up plentifulness of uncomfortable questions for Republicans for months to come. Trump has repeatedly called for McConnell's ousting.
Outside of McConnell, the GOP enactment squad for the adjacent Congress volition beryllium Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., arsenic whip; Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., arsenic league chair; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, arsenic argumentation chair; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., arsenic league vice chair; and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., arsenic the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair.
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The caller Congress begins Jan. 3. The Georgia runoff volition determine whether the enclosure remains 50-50 evenly split, oregon whether Democrats volition person a 51-49 majority.
Fox News' Chad Pergram, Kelly Phares and Caroline McKee contributed to this report.
Tyler Olson is simply a newsman covering the Senate for Fox News Digital.
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