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The battle lines for the Senate GOP leader race are finally in sharp focus: The dark horse is sitting it out, a far-right MAGA activist is swarming in and a deadline’s been set.
Why it matters: Sen. John Thune, currently the GOP No. 2, has long been considered a front-runner to replace Mitch McConnell. But several GOP sources have noted serious momentum behind Sen. John Cornyn’s bid in recent weeks.
- One senior Senate source told Axios that Cornyn has a strong pitch for senators to name him leader.
Zoom in: Both Thune and Cornyn have had rocky relationships with former President Trump but have worked hard to smooth them over.
- The potential for Trump to weigh in has loomed over the race, with some senators hoping that he won’t, but no one really knows.
- A neutral Trump would allow them to duke it out the old-fashioned way: Reminding senators who got them elected and what they can do to put them in the majority. The vote is secret.
Between the lines: The Johns have dodged a dark-horse challenge from NRSC chair Sen. Steve Daines, who could have been a Trump mystery candidate.
- Behind the scenes, Daines had hinted to colleagues for several weeks that he wasn’t interested in the leader job, sources told us. Now it’s official, as he told Semafor he’s out.
- But Daines’ decision not to run doesn’t solve the riddle of if — or when — the former president will weigh in.
Driving the news: Enter Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who was a fixture at Trump’s side in recent months.
- “We the loyal MAGA BASE are going to revolt against a Cornyn or Thune leadership installation,” Loomer posted on X on Wednesday.
- This came after Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) interviewed on her show.
Zoom out: Thune has been zipping across the country fundraising and campaigning for candidates who could help hand the GOP a Senate majority. He’s hit eight states this month, some multiple times.
- He’s raised more than $31 million this cycle and set a new record for the largest one-time donation to the GOP campaign arm at $4 million.
- Cornyn has spent time with Trump twice this month and continued his long track record of hard-dollar fundraising for GOP candidates, including visiting Michigan, Indiana and Nevada over the recess.
- He’s raised a whopping $400 million in hard dollars since 2002, he announced earlier this month.