As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to retake the Oval Office, the Senate leadership race to replace veteran Republican leader Mitch McConnell intensifies. Trump’s resounding victory in the presidential race could shake up the race, pitting the MAGA wing and the traditional wing against each other.

It is indisputable, after several key Republican Senate victories in the 2024 elections, that the chamber is friendlier than ever to President Trump as he returns to office after a four-year hiatus. As many as four new senators could owe their elections to Trump’s victory, if Kari Lake of Arizona or Sam Brown of Nevada prevails after all the votes are counted.

The three leading candidates are now racing to prove they have the MAGA skills to lead the upper chamber at a moment that will be crucial to Trump’s second-term agenda. Congress will soon face several challenges, including renewing Trump’s 2017 tax cuts before they expire, making it easier to plans to secure the borderand recovering what Republicans believe is wasteful federal spending of the Biden era.

But two candidates for the seat, John Thune of North Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas, have worked in leadership and are close allies of outgoing establishment leader McConnell. In addition to sharing a name, both have also criticized Trump in the past, especially after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and expressed fear about a third Trump candidacy.

Thune specifically angered Trump when he said the Senate would reject any challenge to state electoral votes in the 2020 election, which Trump said was rife with fraud. As a result, Trump and his allies attempted to oust Thune from office by endorsing a rival in the primary, although the effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Both Thune and Cornyn have recently worked smoothly on their relationship with Trump after it became clear that he would be the Republican nominee and likely victor in the presidential race.

But the third contender, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is presenting himself as the most pro-Trump candidate in the race and promising far-reaching reforms to how the upper chamber would operate under Republican control. Trump’s resounding victory may give the two-term senator the necessary boost.

Scott made headlines when he launched an unsuccessful bid to replace McConnell in the wake of the 2020 election, promising changes to the way the Senate GOP would operate, including less compromise with Democrats on key issues.

Scott entered the House after the 2018 election, after eight years as Florida’s governor. After his election, he assumed a leadership position for the 2022 elections, namely chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm charged with increasing the Republican margin in the Senate.

A lackluster performance in the election is a black mark on Scott’s record, fueled by accusations of financial mismanagement in the group. Tensions also rose between Scott and McConnell during the cycle over the “12-point plan to rescue America.” This tension ultimately led Scott to launch his leadership challenge against McConnell to reform leadership.

In a letter distributed to his colleagues announcing his candidacy this time, Scott promised similar leadership reformsincluding restoring the regular appropriations process, giving senators enough time to review legislation before votes, and promising never to pressure their colleagues to vote on anything that runs counter to constituents’ interests.

“President Trump needs a Senate that supports his Cabinet, Supreme Court and judicial nominations,” Scott published in X on Friday. “He needs a Senate leader who will support his vision for America.”

So far, President-elect Trump has not endorsed any of the leadership candidates. This decision does not seem to bother Senator Thune, who has said publicly that he believes it is best for Trump to stay out of the race.

“I stay in regular contact with him and his team and obviously, if he wants, I could have considerable influence on that but, honestly, I think my preference would be and I think it’s probably in his best interest to stay out of it.” . Thune said to CNBC’s Joe Kernen.

“These secret ballot Senate elections are probably best left to the senators and he has to work with all of us when it’s all said and done,” he added.

However, Thune has repeatedly publicly criticized Trump’s 2016 and 2024 candidacies and his criminal proceedings, which may make it difficult for the senator to present himself as best positioned to cooperate with Trump’s agenda. After the 2022 midterm elections, when a reporter asked Thune if he would support Trump if he were the nominee, the senator said “I hope we have other options, and I think we will have other options.”

Thune also deflected when asked if he would support Trump if he were convicted of state fraud charges in New York. “I’m not… we’ll see how the trial turns out,” Thune he said in response to journalists.

In 2016, Thune called on Trump to drop out of the presidential race after the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape became public. “Donald Trump should retire and Mike Pence should be our candidate effective immediately,” Thune, now X, posted on Twitter.

In the wake of the 2020 election, Trump asked for a primary challenge to unseat Thune after the senator said any attempt to challenge the certification of Joe Biden’s victory would “go down like a shot dog.”

“I just don’t think there’s much point in putting everyone through this when you know what the end result is going to be.” Thune said at that time.

In the wake of January 6, Senator Cornyn opposed the second impeachment trial against then-President Trump, but suggested that he could be held responsible after leaving office.

“In theory, the president, once he leaves office, could be charged with incitement of insurrection,” Cornyn. he said at that time. “That would be a possibility, if in fact the evidence supported it.”

Cornyn did not say whether he believed the president’s conduct that day met the standard, but called his language “reckless.”

At least one senator is publicly urging Trump to tip the scales in Scott’s favor. Sen. Ron Johnson, who endorsed Scott’s candidacy, called on Trump on Thursday to endorse Scott. “Jesse, if you have any influence with President Trump, ask President Trump to come out publicly and say that he wants to work with someone as successful as Rick Scott to achieve his agenda,” Johnson said in an interview with podcast host Jesse Kelly. .

Sen. Josh Hawley announced his support for Cornyn on Friday, citing the Texas senator’s efforts to raise $33 million in funds to support his colleagues’ re-election bids.

On this point, Sens. Mike Rounds, R-Okla., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., have endorsed Thune.