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,

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.

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.

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.

Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota was elected new Senate majority leader, replacing Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is stepping aside. The contest to be the face of Senate Republicans is coming to a head this week. One issue contenders might want to avoid during the final stretch is Trump's ambitious tariff plan.

Sen. John Cornyn, the state’s senior senator, is running to succeed longtime Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The three-way race for majority leader will be decided this week. Here are five things to know about the race:

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.