John Barrasso passes on Senate GOP leadership run for lower post

by Arjun Singh

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, will not run for leadership of the conference following the retirement of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from the position, according to a press release emailed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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 candidacy for the leadership, but on Tuesday announced he was running for the role of Assistant Republican Leader, who nominally holds the role of the party whip.

“I have had time to reflect on how I might best serve the Republican Conference and our country,” Barrasso wrote in the press release. “After a lot of thought, I will ask my colleagues for their support and help to work for them as the Assistant Republican Leader.”

“The contrast is crystal clear between @KariLake, who knows what we need to do and will get the job done, and her opponent {@RubenGallego} on the Democrat side of the aisle, who, as far as I can tell, doesn’t think there should be any borders.

National security is border… pic.twitter.com/B7ZJcAG6EN

— Kari Lake (@KariLake) February 29, 2024

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, The Associated Press reported. 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.

Barrasso has been an ally of McConnell during his leadership and supported him amid a challenge from Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida in 2022.

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