Who will be new Senate majority leader? Full list of candidates

Republicans have secured control of the Senate, flipping the upper chamber of Congress after four years of a GOP minority.

As of Wednesday evening, according to the Associated Press, Republicans now hold 52 seats in the Senate, a three-seat gain from last term. Democrats currently hold 43 seats, as well as independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the party.

Four Senate races are outstanding as states finish counting their ballots. Republicans lead in Pennsylvania and Nevada, while Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego is ahead in Arizona. Independent nominee Angus King Jr. is leading for Maine’s open Senate seat.

The new GOP majority will be tasked with selecting a caucus leader after being sworn in on January 3. The current minority leader, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, announced earlier this year that he will step down from his position in the new term.

McConnell told reporters on Wednesday that he credits Republicans’ victory in the Senate to “candidate quality,” adding, ” If you’re looking for a simple answer, I think it was a referendum on the current administration, in part. People were just not happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was a part of it.”

Vice President Kamala Harris lost her presidential bid for Democrats to President-elect Donald Trump, giving the GOP control of both the Senate and White House. There is a chance that Republicans keep control of the House, although several races are still uncalled.

Below is a list of GOP senators who are in the running to replace McConnell.

John Thune

South Dakota’s John Thune, current Senate minority whip, is a potential front-runner for the GOP leadership position. The 63-year-old was first elected to office in 2005, and has defied Trump’s requests on multiple occasions.

On Wednesday, Thune released a statement criticizing the Biden-Harris administration and said that the GOP has the chance to “turn the page on this expensive and reckless chapter of American history” with its new Senate majority.

“As we wait for additional results, I am optimistic that President Trump will be successful, our majority will grow stronger, and we can continue our work together to create a safer and more secure country for every American.”

John Cornyn

U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas is also in the running to replace McConnell. He has served in the Senate since 2002, and was his home state’s attorney general before serving in Congress.

Cornyn served as the GOP’s whip before Thune and is a close ally of Trump. In a statement on Wednesday, the Texas conservative said that Democrats had “broken the Senate, but I’m confident our new conservative majority can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic.”

“From my experience both as Whip advancing President Trump’s agenda through the Senate to serving as a rank-and-file member now, I have learned what works and what does not,” Cornyn added.

John Barrasso

U.S. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming won his third term in office on Tuesday. He is the third-ranking Republican in the Senate and has served in Congress since 2007.

Barrasso is a fellow ally of Trump and said on Wednesday that the president-elect’s victory this week “is a mandate from the American people to get this country back on track.”

“Millions chose a new President who puts America first,” Barrasso added. “We chose a President who values our freedom, not the heavy hand of Washington bureaucrats.”

Rick Scott

Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott, a Trump-backed candidate who was elected for a second term this week, threw his name into the hat for the next Senate majority leader on Wednesday, telling Fox News, “I’m going to win.”

“I’ve been talking to my Republican colleagues, guess what. They want change,” Scott said. “They know that Trump has a mandate, they want to be part of that mandate. They want to be treated as equals.”

Scott’s communications director, McKinley Lewis, said in a statement shared with Politico that “as Senate Republican leader, Senator Scott will bring Florida’s winning conservative record to Washington and be a true ally to President Trump to execute his agenda and fundamentally change the direction of this country.”