Two-man race emerges to replace McConnell as Sen. Barrasso passes on bid for GOP leader

The battle to replace Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has morphed into a two-person race between Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.

Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming, the third-ranking GOP senator, announced Tuesday that he will not seek to be Mr. McConnell’s successor but will instead run for the party’s No. 2 position as whip.

“I have had time to reflect on how I might best serve you, our entire Republican Conference, and our country,” Mr. Barrasso wrote to Senate Republicans in a letter, citing the recent death of his wife, Bobbi Brown.

Mr. Thune and Mr. Cornyn, who’s previously held several leadership positions, are the early favorites, though other candidates from the party’s more conservative faction could still enter the race. Those senators could include the likes of Sens. Rick Scott of Florida or Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, both of whom have expressed interest in the job. Mr. Scott met Monday with former President Donald Trump.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the fourth-ranking Republican, remains undecided.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is seeking Mr. Barrasso’s spot as Republican Conference chair.

Mr. McConnell of Kentucky will retire from his 17-year stint as Senate GOP leader after the November election, but will serve the remainder of his term that ends in January 2027.

His announcement last week prompted tense debate among Republicans over how the conference should chart its path forward in a post-McConnell era and whether their next leader needs to have a friendly relationship with Mr. Trump.

Mr. McConnell remains the only member of his leadership team who has not endorsed Mr. Trump for president.

“I sort of take [Trump] with a grain of salt, the things that he says,” Mr. Thune told Dakota News Now. “I know he’s going to say things and there’s nothing I can control about that. But as I think about the job I have right now and the one I aspire to, I’m going to need to be able to work with the president.”

Mr. Thune, who launched his bid Monday, has been endorsed by Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. 

Mr. Cornyn threw his hat into the ring the day after Mr. McConnell revealed his planned retirement. 

“Throughout my time, I’ve built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause,” he said at the time.