Senator Rick Scott (R., Fla.) confirmed Tuesday that he plans to make a bid to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from his leadership role.
Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had refused to rule out a challenge to McConnell in recent months, but finally confirmed his plans to challenge the Republican leader during a closed door Senate GOP lunch on Tuesday, according to several reports. The news comes one day before Senate Republicans are slated to hold their leadership elections.
Scott and McConnell have clashed on political strategy for much of the year leading up to the midterms. The pair were at odds over Scott’s proposal to require nearly all federal spending programs to go through a renewal vote every five years, a plan that would make Medicare and Social Security more vulnerable to budget cuts.
McConnell said that the plan “will not be part of a Republican Senate majority agenda,” earlier this year. Nonetheless, Democrats used Scott’s plan to attack Republican candidates.
Republicans have been doing some soul-searching after a disappointing midterms outing last week that saw Democrats maintain control of the Senate and stave off a red wave in the House.
Scott and other Republican lawmakers had previously called for the Senate leadership elections to be delayed.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) told Fox News he doesn’t “really see that right now” when asked if anyone could defeat McConnell, including Scott.
Scott’s challenge is the first real competition McConnell has faced in his 15 years as leader. If he wins reelection he will become the longest-serving party leader in the chamber’s history.
McConnell appeared unconcerned about the challenge on Tuesday, telling reporters: “I think the outcome is pretty clear. I want to repeat again: I have the votes. I will be elected. The only issue is whether we do it sooner or later.”