Mitch McConnell Keeps Hold On Senate GOP, Knocks Back Challenge From Rick Scott

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell won re-election to lead the GOP in the Senate on Wednesday, fending off a challenge from Florida Sen. Rick Scott.

A group of GOP senators called to push off the leadership vote until after the Georgia runoff race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican candidate Herschel Walker, according to a Friday report from Politico.

McConnell responded to the senators on Tuesday, dismissing their arguments and pushing forward with the leadership vote.

“I think the outcome is pretty clear,” McConnell said. “I want to repeat again. I have the votes; I will be elected. The only issue is whether we do it sooner or later.”

McConnell, 80, is on track to becoming the longest serving leader party leader in the Senate. First elected in 1985, McConnell has led Republicans in the Senate for 15 years since 2007. Former Democratic Sen. Michael Mansfield holds the record for longest serving party leader at 16 years from 1961-1977.

Scott, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, launched his bid to unseat McConnell earlier this week. Scott runs the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and is chiefly responsible for helping Republicans get elected to the Senate. The Florida senator oversaw an underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections where the GOP lost a slate of close contests and failed to pick up any more seats.

“I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against,” Scott told fellow Republicans in a letter Tuesday. “I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values.”