Utah Senate delegation playing outsized role in battle over GOP leadership

Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. John Curtis, who has yet to win general election in his bid to replace Sen. Mitt Romney, are at the center of the Republican debate about who will lead their expected Senate majority in 2025.
As chair of the Senate steering committee, Lee is seen as the spokesperson for a group of 15-20 conservative senators who have issued a list of demands for whoever seeks to take the helm from longtime Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during November’s secret-ballot leadership election.
Those who have already declared their intent to run for majority leader include: McConnell’s right-hand man, Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota; Thune’s predecessor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida.
“Lee is spearheading discussions among his colleagues on what conservatives are looking for in the next majority leader,” said Lee’s chief strategist, Dan Hauser. “Lee is involved in ongoing conversations with John Thune, Rick Scott, John Cornyn, and others who may throw their hat in the ring.”
Curtis has already been the subject of extensive outreach by candidates for the chamber’s top spot as he is highly favored to beat his Democratic opponent to become one of just a handful of new GOP faces in the Senate. Curtis hosted Thune during his August visit to Utah to receive the Titan of Public Service Award from the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation.
“Sen. Cornyn has been in constant contact, and we’ve met with him, and John Thune, not only has visited out here, but constant contact,” Curtis told the Deseret News on Saturday, adding that other prospective candidates have also reached out. “I will just say this, I think there are some incredibly good options in front of us, and the fact that it will be a hard decision is a good thing. This isn’t a smorgasbord of bad candidates.”
Republicans are expected to regain control of the Senate this election cycle as Democrats face an extremely unfavorable electoral map. With a narrow one-seat majority, Democrats are defending two-thirds of the 34 contested Senate seats this year.
While Republicans face uncomfortably close elections with incumbents in Texas and Florida, Democrats are on the defensive with seats in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Democratic seats in Michigan and Ohio are considered toss-ups, and their seats in Montana and West Virginia appear likely to flip red.
With the odds stacked against Democrats, Republicans have forged ahead with plans for their new majority. Whether in the open, or behind the scenes, several candidates have gauged support for bids to replace McConnell, whose 17-year tenure as leader of the Senate Republican conference, including six years as majority leader, makes him the longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.
Both Thune and Cornyn, the former Senate majority whip and former chair of Senate Republican campaign arm, have attempted to prove they can match McConnell’s fundraising prowess, raising and giving generously to colleagues’ campaign coffers in recent months. Cornyn’s Victory Committee PAC spent over $220,500 on Curtis this election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.
Scott may fit in this category as well, helping to reelect his fellow senators as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee between 2021 and 2023. The current NRSC chair, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., may also enter the race, potentially with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
The next Republican majority leader will be responsible for negotiating legislation, articulating GOP messaging and supporting incumbents in their reelection bids. The legislative records of Thune, Cornyn, Scott and other prospective candidates will also be scrutinized as senators weigh who is most likely to return to regular order in the legislative process and respect the input of individual legislators.
Senate conservatives, including Lee, are seeking a leader who will meet their conditions of establishing an open amendment process for all legislation and setting term limits for the majority leader, among other procedural changes meant to empower rank-and-file members.
Having just endured a year of dysfunction in the House because of the inability of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to manage his small majority, Curtis said he is looking for which candidate can unite the entire Senate Republican conference.
“My single biggest trait that I’m looking for is who can keep us all on the same page and together despite our differences,” Curtis said. “And so the leadership skills I’m looking for is who can bring us all together, who can bring Lisa Murkowski and Tim Scott or Mike Lee into the same room and get us on the same page to advance what’s best for our country.”
The alternative, as we’ve seen in the House, Curtis said, is losing leverage in negotiations with Democrats. Both Thune and Cornyn appear to be able to “unify quite a bit,” Curtis said. “But can they capture what I would call the Rick Scott faction? They need to be able to.”
In an interview with Thune on KSL’s “Inside Sources” in August, Curtis said “there’s a high probability (Thune) will be leading the Senate next year.”