Here Are Mitch McConnell's Biggest Threats to His Senate Power

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's hold on his top role among Senate Republicans will reportedly be put to the test this week when the party holds its leadership elections following a disappointing midterms outcome for the GOP.

Predictions of a Republican "red wave" in the midterms were dashed when the GOP did not immediately secure the sweeping wins that had been projected. One of the biggest blows for the GOP was its failure to flip control of the Senate after some forecasts suggested that Democrats could lose the upper chamber of Congress.

Republicans still appear more likely than not to secure control of the House, as was predicted before the elections, but any majority they do obtain may be extremely tight. As of Monday afternoon, the GOP had won 212 House seats compared to the 203 won by Democrats, both short of the 218 required for a majority. A handful of House races still have yet to be called.

Now, some prominent Republicans seem to be searching for someone they can blame for the lacking midterms outcome. For former President Donald Trump, that person is McConnell, with whom he has clashed on several issues in recent years.

"​​It's Mitch McConnell's fault," former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Monday in reference to the midterms results.

Trump blasted McConnell over a reported lack of funding from a super PAC aligned with the Senate minority leader for the U.S. Senate race between Republican Blake Masters and Democrat Mark Kelly in Arizona. Masters, who was endorsed by Trump, lost the highly-competitive race.

Now, a handful of GOP senators are calling for a postponement of the Senate leadership elections that are reportedly set to take place on Wednesday, with some saying that it would be better to wait for the December Senate runoff between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Trump-backed Herschel Walker. Republican Senator Josh Hawley, one of the senators who wants the election to be postponed, has reportedly said that he would vote against McConnell as leader, according to Politico.

While it remains unclear if any GOP senators plan to pursue the leadership role, one top name has emerged as a potential contender: Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

Christopher Devine, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Dayton, told Newsweek that it's "pretty clear" that Scott is angling for the position. Over the weekend, Trump backed Scott as a potential challenger for McConnell in the GOP leadership role.

"I think the handwriting was on the wall before that someone looking to carve out a pro-Trump reputation, perhaps in support of their future ambitions, was going to challenge Mitch McConnell in hopes of actually winning, of course," Devine said.

When Fox News' Maria Bartiromo asked Scott during an interview on Sunday if he wanted McConnell's job, he replied that he wouldn't take anything off the table but said his main focus was on supporting Walker and getting a Republican victory in Georgia.

He added that pursuing the leadership position and losing to McConnell could also be a "symbolic act" for another senator who wants to show "that they would stand up for Donald Trump and the Trump agenda." This could be Scott, or someone else, Devine said.

"The Senate is full of ambitious people who think they're destined for greater things," Devine said. "So even if it's not Rick Scott, or even in addition to Rick Scott, I think we could see others, although it's hard to say who that would be."

Devine also noted that many Senate Republicans who benefitted from his PAC's fundraising may owe favors to McConnell, or may at least be afraid of getting on his bad side when it comes to deciding the party's leadership in the Senate.

Leaders in the Senate are elected through a majority vote of all the senators in their respective party, according to the Senate website.

Laura Blessing, a senior fellow in Georgetown University's Government Affairs Institute, told Newsweek that McConnell does not have a credible challenger in the Senate GOP and has the votes to secure reelection. McConnell also expressed confidence in an interview with CNN last month that he had the necessary votes in his corner.

"The vote will be uneventful but what's really interesting will be what's behind the scenes," Blessing said, noting that how conservative organizations and movements position themselves in relation to Trump and McConnell should be watched moving forward.

Blessing does not believe that anyone will attempt to challenge McConnell but noted that "the possibility that someone's name will be suggested for a very short period of time" can't be completely eliminated.

Newsweek reached out to McConnell for comment.

Update 11/15/22, 9:20 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.