Taking to Twitter on Sunday evening, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for Republican Senate leadership elections taking place on Wednesday (November 16) to be postponed until after the Georgia Senate runoff is decided.
Graham began his tweet by pointing to Georgia’s Senate runoff, saying, “would be appropriate to delay Senate leadership elections until we know who is in the Senate Republican Conference.”
Graham expressed he agreed with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) that not postponing the GOP Senate leadership vote would be “disrespectful” to Georgia’s Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
Walker is facing incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock in the runoff, which would have decided who controls the Senate had Democrats not already won Nevada and, with it, the Senate majority.
Many who have called to postpone the GOP Senate Leadership elections are allies of former President Donald Trump and include names like Cruz and Graham, but also Senators Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).
But, Graham also pointed to Trump delaying his announcement regarding 2024 until the runoffs have been decided, tweeting, “All Republicans should be focused on winning in Georgia.”
Graham added that until the GOP understands the midterm results, “Senate leadership elections or moving on to the 2024 presidential race” should be delayed.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to retain his position as GOP Senate Leader. But calls for postponing the GOP leadership election could point to a strategy to challenge McConnell’s leadership.
Trump had previously agitated Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to challenge McConnell, but Scott abandoned that goal following Tuesday’s dismal results.
