Ted Cruz backs Rick Scott over fellow Texan John Cornyn in GOP Senate leadership race

Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced he will support Florida Senator Rick Scott over fellow Texan Senator John Cornyn in the race for the next Senate majority leader. 

Cruz, known for his right-wing stance, shared his decision on X (formerly Twitter) shortly before Republican senators were set to vote. “This morning, I’ll be voting for Rick Scott for GOP Leader, as I did two years ago,” Cruz posted. “For 12 yrs, I’ve been unequivocal that we need to change GOP Leadership—and now we finally will.”

The vote, held to replace Mitch McConnell as GOP Leader, will see Scott facing both Cornyn and South Dakota Senator John Thune, McConnell’s ally and current Republican whip. Cornyn, who served as McConnell’s whip from 2013 to 2019, has long shown interest in becoming the next leader and has been a top fundraiser, gathering nearly $33 million this election cycle for Republican candidates. Cornyn has also backed Cruz’s campaign against Democrat Colin Allred, contributing over $500,000.

The voting process will be conducted by secret ballot among current and incoming senators, with the possibility of a runoff if no candidate wins a majority in the initial round. Senators can also change their votes between rounds.

Cruz has repeatedly criticized McConnell’s leadership style, including his reluctance to support more conservative candidates and his firm control over the Senate. Cruz specifically blamed McConnell for the GOP’s inability to secure a Senate majority in 2022, when Scott first challenged McConnell’s leadership, marking a rare disruption in the GOP’s leadership structure. 

McConnell, who has led the GOP for 17 years and is the Senate’s longest-serving party leader, earlier announced he would not seek re-election as leader, sparking the first competitive GOP leadership race in decades.