Rubio, Hawley call for Senate GOP leadership vote to be postponed

Several Senate Republicans on Friday called for the Senate GOP’s leadership elections to be postponed a day after news emerged that Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) had been considering a long-shot bid to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) atop the conference.

Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Scott are all pushing for the elections, slated for Wednesday, to be pushed back until later, potentially after the Georgia runoffs. 

“The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed,” Rubio tweeted. “First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities & values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like #Florida.” 

“Exactly right. I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished,” Hawley said, quote-tweeting Rubio’s initial statement. “We have a runoff in #GASenate — are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker.” 

As for Johnson, Scott and Lee, the trio is circulating a letter among their Senate GOP colleagues pushing for a postponement of the elections. 

“We are all disappointed that a Red Wave failed to materialize, and there are multiple reasons it did not,” the three senators said. “We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to why and what we can do to improve our chances in 2024.”

Cruz said in a tweet of his own that it makes “no sense” told hold the leadership contests before the Georgia runoff, which takes place on Dec. 6.

“We don’t yet know whether we’ll have a majority & Herschel Walker deserves a say in our leadership,” Cruz said. “Critically, we need to hear a specific plan for the next 2 yrs from any candidate for leadership.”

Adding to the chorus, Sen.-elect Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) has called for new leadership in the Senate GOP to take the wheel. 

Earlier in the day, Hawley laid the lackluster results in the midterm elections at McConnell’s feet, telling RealClearPolitics in an interview that “Washington Republicanism” and the GOP leader’s decision not to offer an alternative vision hurt the party on Tuesday. 

While Hawley’s comments about leadership are not wholly a surprise, Rubio’s are. The Florida senator has not been known to fire inside the tent and criticize Senate GOP leaders. According to a Rubio adviser, the senator believes the focus on leadership elections immediately is misguided. 

“The question everybody wants to ask is for or against,” the adviser said, laying out the questions Rubio wants answered about the midterms before turning attention to leadership contests.

“What went wrong? What do we stand for? Who are we fighting for? Why are we fighting for them? And then how do we deliver for them? … Those are the questions he thinks the Senate GOP conference needs to talk about next week. Not who leads the conference.”

Republican leaders have set their elections for Wednesday. McConnell declared in early October that he has the votes to keep hold of his leadership post.

On Thursday, Politico reported that Scott — who leads the Senate GOP campaign arm — aborted a planned challenge to McConnell’s position after the party did not make the gains it anticipated, headlined by losses in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, and next month’s runoff in Georgia. 

Adding to the issues, Arizona GOP Senate nominee Blake Masters continues to trail Sen. Mark Kelly (D), and Adam Laxalt is stuck in a nail-biter of a contest with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in the Battle Born State.

This story was updated at 4:52 p.m.