Sen. Rick Scott has jumped into the Senate GOP leadership race in an attempt to replace old-school neocon Mitch McConnell with a more Trumpian type of leader.
“I believe now is the time we need dramatic change,” Scott wrote in a letter to his dear colleagues, arguing that voters want them to use the leadership election to “change the status quo in Washington.”
He will run against Republican leader John Thune and former leader John Cornyn. Former President Donald Trump, a longtime McConnell antagonist, has yet to lend his weight in the race.
Scott is the only one of the three to appear at Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
“Too many secret deals have been made, things rarely go through the committee process, and it is accepted practice not to allow amendment votes on trillion-dollar spending bills,” Scott continued.
Scott, the former governor of Florida, is known to work closely with the right-wing Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives.
Scott posted a photo with former President Donald Trump the night before announcing he would run for the top spot in the Senate Republican conference.
“We rarely work together with Republicans in the House,” he said. “We often get votes that unite Democrats and divide us.”
In March, Scott met with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home.
In a stunning speech in March, McConnell announced that he would not seek re-election in November. He has led the Senate Republican conference since 2007.
Scott was the only opponent to run against McConnell for the leadership position in 2022. He lost, receiving just 10 votes.
Another conservative believed to be in the race, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the third-ranking Republican senator, also refrained from running for leader and opted for the whip.
“After much thought, I will ask my colleagues for their support and help in working for them as assistant to the Republican leader.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also will not run for Republican leader.
A source confirmed to DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Cotton would run for president of the Senate Republican Conference, the third-highest leadership position in the caucus.
Scott’s candidacy makes him the third Republican to officially enter the race.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was the first to declare his candidacy for leader following McConnell’s announcement last week.
“I ask my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn wrote in a statement Thursday. “I have learned a lot during my time in and out of Senate leadership.”
He said the Senate is broken but can be fixed and he intends to play a role in that.
“Throughout my time I have built a record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause,” Cornyn continued.
The Texas senator previously served in Senate leadership as whip and as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
McConnell is the longest-serving Senate leader in American history, holding the position since 2007.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (center) announced last week that he would not run for Republican leader in November. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla. (second from left) and Sen. John Thune, R-Fla., (second from right) have announced they are in the race to replace him.
Sen. John Thune announced Monday that he is seeking to become the Senate’s next Republican leader after leader Mitch McConnell announced he would not seek re-election.
Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota are considered the “three Johns.”
Another candidate, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the Senate’s second-most powerful Republican behind McConnell, has announced he is running for the top Republican leadership job.
“Well, I hope to be (leader) and I’ll do everything I can to convince my colleagues,” Thune told a South Dakota media outlet.
“For me, it’s really about trying to make a difference,” Thune said. Dakota News Now. “I think I have something to contribute there.”
“In my opinion, this is an opportunity for a reset and I would like to be a part of it.”
Steve Daines, R-Mont., is also rumored to be considering a run for Republican leader.