Mitch McConnell is getting old. Earlier this year he fell multiple times, and even got a concussion, and now just this week he froze for the second time this summer. Its clear that the 81 year old senator from Kentucky is not exactly completely up to the job, and should be replaced. But who will replace him? Well, there are 3 options. And there names all start with John.
John Thune:
John Thune has served as a Republican Senator of South Dakota since 2005, when he beat then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in a major upset. Since then, he has had continually easy victories, and climbed the ladder in senate leadership. He has served as the Republican Conference Chairman, and is currently serving as the Senate Majority Whip, second to Mitch McConnell. Due to him being second in command, he is Mitch McConnell’s natural successor, and is considered the frontrunner. Despite this success, he raises eyebrows from Trump supporting senators due to his endorsement of colleague Tim Scott in the 2024 Republican Primaries.
John Cornyn:
John Cornyn is a Republican Senator from Texas who was first elected in 2002. Like Thune, he has also served as Senate Whip, and also Senatorial Committee Chairman. Despite being ideologically similar to Thune, Cornyn has been described as more bipartisan and more willing to work with Democrats. For example, he was a key negotiator on gun reform. While this is traditionally a quality people would seek from a leader, many have interpreted Cornyns bipartisanship as given the democrats wins, which could damage his reputation.
John Barasso:
John Barraso was appointed to the Wyoming Senate in 2007 to fill a vacancy, and has been serving since them. Despite never serving as whip like the other two John’s, he is the current Republican Conference Chairman, making him the third ranking Republican. Unlike John Thune and John Cornyn, he is more of a dark horse candidate, who’s main difference from the others comes from his unilateral support of Trump, which the other two John’s are yet to give. His endorsement of Trump could give him a unique pathway to leadership via die hard Trump supporting senators.
Now that we have rounded up all of Mitch McConnell’s potential successors, it’s time to predict who will replace the 81-year-old. I personally think this will be John Thune, due to him currently serving as the number 2 republican, however we will have to wait and see.