Cornyn has for years signaled he wanted to succeed his close ally GOP leader Mitch McConnell. He lost in a vote decided by the Republican members of the Senate.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said he will still seek reelection in 2026 after falling a few votes short Wednesday in his bid to become the next Senate majority leader. Asked about what comes next for him in the Senate,

John Cornyn is running to succeed Mitch McConnell after years waiting in his shadow. But the far-right, in Texas and Washington, are putting up a fight.

Cornyn, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, has long sought to be Senate Majority Leader, the first from Texas since Lyndon B. Johnson.

Now the party is in the market for a new majority leader, since Sen. Mitch McConnell announced earlier this year he would vacate the position even while he serves out his term in the Senate. As names are being floated to fill that role, one is from the Lone Star State: John Cornyn.

Reports from Washington have Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who serves as Senate Republican whip, winning the leadership role after two rounds of voting by secret ballot. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who had earned the support of several allies of President Donald Trump, was reportedly eliminated during the first round of voting.

Cornyn had for years signaled he wanted to succeed his close ally GOP leader Mitch McConnell. On Wednesday, he lost in a vote decided by the Republican members of the Senate.