While the three Johns are widely considered to be the most-likely McConnell successors, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (W.V.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) have been floated as potential candidates for the top role in the conference. 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, the vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, and Daines, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, are the No. 5 and No. 6 top Republicans in the Senate, respectively. They have not signaled whether they will mount bids for McConnell’s job, but the two, like Ernst, would likely go up the ranks in Republican leadership 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, meanwhile, challenged McConnell for the top leadership position in 2022 after a disappointing midterms performance for Republicans. McConnell was reelected to the job in a 37-10 vote. Scott — who served as National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2021 to 2023 — has remained a top critic of the Kentucky Republican. On Wednesday, he wouldn’t say if he’ll once again run for Republican leader, saying he’s choosing to focus on his own reelection in November, but said 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 article.