The Republican leadership race in the Senate is expected to be a drawn-out process due to its contentious nature and the possibility of multiple rounds of voting. The front-runners for the positions are Senate Minority Whip John Thune and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, with Sen. Rick Scott also in the running with endorsements from President-elect Donald Trump’s circle.
The election is set to commence at 9:30 a.m. in the old Senate chamber, with votes for each leadership post taking place in descending order. The vote for Senate Republican leader will be the first order of business. Each candidate will have the opportunity for up to two nominating speeches, followed by their own remarks. Subsequently, there may be discussions about the candidates after their speeches, potentially prolonging the process.
Senators will cast their votes by secret ballot, ensuring complete confidentiality in the voting process. Senator John Barrasso and his team will then tally the votes. If no candidate secures a majority, or 27 votes, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated, leading to another round of voting between the remaining two candidates. This scenario could result in multiple rounds of voting before a clear winner emerges.
Following the conclusion of the Republican leadership race, the conference will proceed to vote for other key positions, including GOP whip, conference chair, policy committee members, conference vice chair, and the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
