Sen. Barrasso Says He’s Secured Enough Support for No. 2 Position in Senate GOP

Sen. John Barrasso (R- Wyo.) speaks to reporters in Washington on Oct. 4, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said he has enough support to be in the No. 2 position in the Senate GOP conference next year.

“They’ve seen the job that I’ve done as chairman of the policy committee, they’ve seen the job that I’ve done now for the last six years as the chairman of the conference in terms of making sure the information they got was credible, reliable, accurate, timely, things that they could use to be successful at home and successful in D.C.,” he said in a statement on March 7.

“Overwhelmingly, I’ve gotten the support of every member,” he also said.

Mr. Barrasso, currently the chairman of the Senate GOP conference, announced on March 5 that he will be running for Senate GOP Whip.

That position is currently occupied by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who is running for Senate GOP leader to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell following the latter’s announcement last week that he will step down as leader after holding the top spot for a record 17 years.

“I have had time to reflect on how I might best serve the Republican Conference and our country,” said Mr. Barrasso in a statement.

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“After a lot of thought, I will ask my colleagues for their support and help to work for them as the Assistant Republican Leader,” he continued.

Mr. McConnell has been Senate GOP leader since 2007. He was Senate minority leader from 2007 to 2015, majority leader from 2015 to 2017, and minority leader again in 2021.

Mr. McConnell reiterated that he is not leaving the Senate, though he said he will be in “a different seat in the chamber” as opposed to the seat in the front row where he currently sits.

“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” said Mr. McConnell on the Senate floor moments after the news broke. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”

Mr. McConnell said that the death of his sister-in-law, Angela, a few weeks ago caused him to reevaluate himself.

“Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to prioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind,” he said.

In his speech, Mr. McConnell reflected on the past albeit briefly as he said that today was not the day to reminisce on his career.

“The truth is, when I got here I was just happy if anybody remembered my name,” he said. “President Reagan called me Mitch O'Donald.”

Mr. McConnell has been in the Senate since 1985. He is up for reelection in 2026. It is publicly unknown if he will run again.

Under Mr. McConnell, the GOP was able to put its conservative imprint on the federal judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court, which led to momentous decisions such as the overturning of Roe. v. Wade and ruling affirmative action unconstitutional. Mr. McConnell refused to have a hearing for Merrick Garland to succeed conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016. Justice Neal Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump, ended up filling the seat. Other accomplishments have included tax reform.

However, Mr. McConnell said, “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

In response to a question from The Epoch Times in September, Mr. McConnell, who had recently experienced two “freezing” incidents in which he appeared unable to speak, said he had no plans to step down as senator or GOP leader.

Mr. Barrasso has been in the Senate since 2007. Previously, he was in the Wyoming Senate for two years. He is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president.