On Friday, Marco Rubio said the Senate Republican leadership should wait to choose new leadership. Discontent with Kentucky Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is growing within the GOP. Rubio believes the Senate leader should fight for the priorities and values of the voters.
“The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed,” Rubio tweeted Friday. “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.”
The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed
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
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 11, 2022
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley chimed in, agreeing with Rubio’s tweet. Hawley believes the GOP should wait until Herschel Walker’s race is completed,
“I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate- are they saying that doesn’t matter?” Hawley said the Georgia senate nominee, Herschel Walker, should not be disenfranchised.
Exactly right. I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate – are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker https://t.co/atIETyoCKY
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 11, 2022
Texas Senator Ted Cruz agreed,
“It makes no sense for Senate to have leadership elections before GA. runoff. We don’t yet know whether we’ll have a majority & Herschel Walker deserves a say in our leadership. Critically, we need to hear a specific plan for the next 2 yrs from any candidate for leadership.”
Dissatisfaction with McConnell’s leadership has likely grown in response to McConnell putting his interests ahead of the parties.
Mitch McConnell’s decision to pull funding for candidates who do not support his leadership has harmed the GOP’s ability to reclaim the majority in the Senate, which now hangs in the balance.
One of the candidates who McConnell pulled funding from is Blake Masters. Masters was stripped of $18 million from McConnell’s PAC in his race against Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly. During the Republican Senate primary, Masters pledged not to back McConnell for leadership and is now in a tight race that could determine whether the Democrats or Republicans win the Senate.
Buck Sexton said, “Mitch has gotta go,” Calling McConnell’s egocentric money decisions “Inexcusable.”
There's plenty of blame and Monday morning quarterbacking to go around for this midterm- but Mitch McConnell pulling millions from Blake Masters? Spending millions *against* Tshibaka? Inexcusable. No defense of it is even possible.
Mitch has gotta go.
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) November 11, 2022
McConnell has spent more than $5 million to defend incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski in her face-off with challenger Kelly Tshibaka, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and the state GOP. Tshibaka also said she would oppose McConnell for conference leader next year.