Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), John Thune (R-SD), and John Cornyn (R-TX) do not individually have the 27 votes necessary to win the Republican Party’s Senate leader race.
With the Republican Party gaining the White House and the majority in the Senate, the leader to replace Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will wield a lot of influence over the legislation passed. The three candidates are facing off to be McConnell’s successor. Tuberville predicted a runoff would be inevitable.
“Here’s the deal: You have three people running, nobody is going to get 27 votes, and so there will be a runoff,” Tuberville said. “So Rick and Cornyn probably are No. 2 and 3. Whoever makes No. 2 against probably Thune at the end of the day will have a chance to beat Thune. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I’m not voting for Tommy Tuberville. I’m voting for the state of Alabama.”
Scott has Tuberville’s endorsement, along with the endorsements of Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Marco Rubio (R-FL). The Florida senator also has the backing of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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McConnell’s Senate term expires in 2026. The Kentucky senator did not help fund Scott’s reelection campaign, and this is Scott’s second attempt to become majority leader after challenging McConnell two years ago.
Cornyn received financial backing from McConnell in 2020, while his state’s junior senator, Ted Cruz (R-TX), was shunned.