When former President Donald Trump lost his re-election bid, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky became the most powerful Republican in Washington DC.
With the upper chamber equally divided between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, the 79-year-old McConnell, who was re-elected to his seventh term last year, will definitely fight hard to regain the majority in 2022.
However, McConnell, always a tactician, has compiled a list of successors if he does not serve out his full term, which according to The Intercept expires in January 2027.
The Republicans of Kentucky told The Intercept that McConnell’s political protégé, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who received criticism for his handling of the Breonna Taylor case, is at the top of the list.
Other names on the list include former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft and Secretary of State Michael Adams in Kentucky.
Under current state law, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear would have the power to elect McConnell’s successor if he steps down, and therefore McConnell will support new legislation that will allow the state’s GOP to elect a replacement.
Senate Bill 228, informally referred to as the “Daniel Cameron Election Bill” according to The Intercept, would deprive the governor to independently elect a deputy and empower the executive committee of the same political party of the previously elected senator to three possible suggest substitutes. .
The governor must then appoint a successor to the party-endorsed list.
If the legislation passes, it will prevent Beshear, who opposes the bill, from replacing McConnell with a Democratic successor.
The legislation also describes when elections can proceed if there is a vacancy.
GOP president Tom Buford, a co-sponsor of the bill presented by state Senate President Robert Stivers, told The Intercept that there had been talk of changes in Senate appointments for a number of years.
“It looked like we were going to change a place of the US Senate, that it would be the right party and the political party that holds office, the political party that would replace it until the next election cycle, in this case Republican. , “he said.
McConnell’s office confirmed with The Intercept that the senator was on board of the changes.
“Leader McConnell discussed the legislation with Stivers and fully supports the measure,” a spokesman said.
Several sources told The Intercept that McConnell was the catalyst for the new legislation, with ‘health care’ and ‘the composition of the upper chamber’ being a few reasons.
However, several GOP lawmakers, who did not want to speak on record, told The Intercept that the changes were largely pushed for McConnell to choose his successor, with one elected official calling the bill a “escape hatch” for the senator.
The bill must be approved by the Kentucky House and Senate, and the party holds veto majorities in both chambers.
While McConnell has publicly given no indication that he will retire, he is also entering unknown territory under the Senate GOP caucus.
His hold on leadership remains strong, but he is confronted with Trump’s threatening presence, which he strongly denounced for his role in the January 6 Capitol riots, despite acquitting the former president of ‘incitement to rebellion’.
Last month, Trump described McConnell as a “sad, grumpy, smiling political heel” and said Republicans “will not win again” if they continue to support him.
McConnell responded that he would “absolutely” support Trump if the former president is the 2024 GOP presidential candidate.