Senate GOP bracing for last-minute leader bids — potentially by key Trump ally

Senate Republicans have a feeling that the battle to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is just beginning and that more contenders will make last-minute bids for the role after the general election in November. 

One name that continues to be tossed around is that of Steve Daines, R-Mont., head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), who has notably refused to rule out the possibility of running for the top Senate GOP role. 

A source with knowledge told Fox News Digital that earlier in the year, after McConnell's shock February announcement that he would not seek another term as leader, former President Trump shared with allies that he would like to see Daines run for the position. 

The two get along well, which spurred Trump's desire to see the Montana Republican join the race, the source said. 

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There are three senators already vying to be the next leader, including John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Scott notably challenged McConnell, R-Ky., in 2022 with a last-minute campaign for the role, citing issues with how the conference was being run. 

At several points in 2024, Daines was asked by Fox News Digital whether he would run for leader. The senator has repeatedly said his focus is on facilitating Republican Senate wins in the upcoming election: "That's where I'm staying focused," he said in July. 

When Fox News Digital noted at the time that his response was not ruling out potentially running, Daines said, "I think we have got good candidates to lead the Republicans and all three are great friends of mine and all three of them would do a good job."

"Chairman Daines is focused on taking back the Senate Majority," NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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While Trump's admiration could prove a significant advantage for Daines if he chooses to enter the race, his role as NRSC chair could also make any chance he has at winning contingent on the results of the November election. 

As one Senate GOP aide said, "Senate Republicans need to post huge numbers on election night for him to have a shot."

Daines is currently overseeing multiple key Senate races in states such as Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, in several of which Republicans are hoping to knock off vulnerable incumbent Democrats. 

However, the aide voiced confidence that Daines would jump into the fray after the election, as long as the GOP performs well. 

The source with knowledge of Trump's feelings toward the Montana Republican also noted that despite his interest in seeing Daines run, Thune and Trump have been nurturing a strong relationship over the past year. 

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Another source familiar said the lines of communication between Thune and Trump have been open. They also said that the current Senate minority whip headlined a fundraiser in Nebraska with Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, only a few weeks ago. 

All the current leader contenders endorsed Trump early on, doing so during the Republican primary race. 

Both Thune and Cornyn have been flexing their fundraising muscles over the past several months, each pulling in massive sums for nationwide Republican candidates and committees as well as conservative groups. The two are each known as effective fundraisers, which is a notable consideration in the leader fight, given McConnell's reputation as a GOP fundraising machine. 

Scott has also made moves to keep up his strong relationship with Trump, jetting to Chicago to kick off counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention for the Trump campaign in July. 

Of the three announced candidates, Scott has been the most vocal about policy and style changes he would like to see at the conference. This was also the driving force behind his challenge to McConnell in 2022. His candidacy could be particularly attractive to GOP senators who are similarly frustrated with the conference's functioning under McConnell, some of whom have been vocal about their grievances. 

The fact that Scott is currently campaigning for re-election in Florida, which is being heavily targeted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), poses a potential difficulty when it comes to lobbying for the leader role. Despite the DSCC's efforts, Republicans remain favored to hold on to Scott's Florida Senate seat. 

Daines isn't the only other senator that conference members and staff believe could still enter the race. 

Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has been predicting additional contenders in the leader election since the spring.

"Someone's going to jump in," he told reporters in July. "I think it's imminently possible."

"I mean, that's how it happened last time," he said, referencing when Scott launched his 2022 campaign against McConnell just before the Republican leader election.

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"I just know that we're all pretty competitive people, and I just wouldn't be surprised if somebody else jumps in," Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said in July. 

As for who else could enter, Hawley had previously expressed hope that Tom Cotton, R-Ark., might consider running for the top role. In March, he said he plans to support Cotton for the position he is currently running for, GOP conference chair, because of his support for a bill to help radiation victims in Missouri. Praising him at the time, Hawley said, "Maybe Tom ought to run for the leader."

A spokesperson for Cotton declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

According to the Senate GOP aide, another Republican to watch is Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has given some forceful remarks to fellow Republicans during closed-door meetings regarding the future of the conference and its leadership. 

But Tillis' office shut down the idea: "Senator Tillis believes there are a number of outstanding candidates running to be the next leader and the conference will be in good hands when one of them becomes the Senate’s next majority leader in January," said spokesperson Adam Webb. 

Because of the expectation that the candidate field will continue to grow, senators have mostly avoided getting behind any current contenders, except for Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who backed Thune early on.