BREAKING: Mitch McConnell Expected to Retire as GOP Senators Make Key Preparations

Several Republican senators are reaching out to their colleagues in preparation for a possible leadership vote in the event that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announces his retirement. While no official announcement has been made regarding McConnell’s retirement, the prospect of a leadership shakeup has already generated speculation and debate among political observers.

John Barrasso of North Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota, are taking steps to prepare for a leadership vote. They are actively contacting other Republican senators to garner support for a possible vote.

On March 13, McConnell was released from the hospital after he fell and suffered a concussion and a minor rib fracture at a private event the previous week. His office stated that he has been undergoing inpatient rehabilitation since then and is receiving physical therapy to regain strength, which typically takes a week or two after a hospital stay. McConnell is 81-years-old.

BREAKING: Republican Senators are actively preparing for the retirement of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 13, 2023

The Spectator notes:

One source says that Cornyn has been particularly active in his preparations, taking fellow senators with whom he has little in common to lunch in attempts to court them.

Requests are being targeted at a plethora of conservative senators, including the sixteen who voted to delay the leadership election earlier this year, a proxy for opposition to McConnell’s leadership. Rick Scott, the Florida senator and former NRSC head who challenged McConnell, ultimately received ten protest votes. These members could prove key to determining the next Republican leader. Queries are also being made internally about the rules regarding replacement, and how the contest would be structured given the lack of an obvious heir apparent.

McConnell is a highly influential figure in American politics, having served as a senator for nearly four decades and as a key Republican leader in both the Senate and the larger political landscape. He is widely regarded as a skilled strategist and dealmaker, and his retirement would represent a significant shift in the balance of power within the GOP. The fact that several Republican senators are already preparing for a potential leadership vote underscores the high stakes involved and the intense competition for power within the party.

McConnell served as the senior United States Senator from Kentucky from 1985 until 2021. He was also the Senate Majority Leader from 2015 to 2021, and then the Senate Minority Leader from 2021 until his retirement from the Senate in December 2022. As a member of the Republican Party, he served as a key ally of former President Donald Trump during his time in office.