While the three Johns are widely considered to be the most likely McConnell successors, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) also have been floated as potential candidates. Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa), the chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and the No. 4 Republican in the conference, signaled on Wednesday that she is not interested in the job.
Moore Capito, vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, and Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, are the No. 5 and No. 6 Republicans in the Senate, respectively. They have not signaled whether they will mount bids for McConnell’s job, but the two, like Ernst, are likely to go up the Republican leadership ranks after McConnell’s departure. On Wednesday, in the aftermath of McConnell’s announcement, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) floated Daines as a possible McConnell replacement.
Scott challenged McConnell for the top leadership position in 2022 after a disappointing midterm performance by Republicans. McConnell was reelected to the job in a 37-10 vote. Scott — who served as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair from 2021 to 2023 — has remained a top critic of the Kentucky Republican. On Wednesday, he wouldn’t say whether he’ll again run for Republican leader, saying he’s choosing to focus on his own reelection in November. But he added that he has made it “very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate.”
Liz Goodwin, Jacob Bogage and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.
