March 6, 2024 |
Photo – Senator John Barrasso – Bigfoot99 file photo
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming announced Tuesday that he will seek the #2 job in the senate—Assistant Republican Leader. Last week and through the weekend, Barrasso’s name was circulating as a possible replacement for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who announced last week that he will step down later this year.
In a statement Tuesday, Senator Barrasso said, “After a lot of thought, I will ask my colleagues for their support to work for them as as the Assistant Republican leader.”
Barrasso has served in the Senate since June 2007 and was elected chairman of the conference in 2018, where he is among a trio of senior senators alongside McConnell and Senate Minority Whip John Thune who lead Senate Republicans.
After McConnell announced his retirement from his post on Feb. 28, Barrasso was speculated to be considering a run for the leadership position but remained non-committal when asked. Then came yesterday’s announcement that Barrasso would seek the role of Assistant Republican Leader, who nominally holds the role of the party whip.
Thune, the current whip, announced on Monday that he would run for the leadership of the conference, joining his predecessor, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, as a candidate in the race. McConnell has indicated that he will formally leave his office in November, following the general election, at which time the conference, including any GOP senators-elect will choose their new leader.
