Sen. Lee, 9 of his colleagues call for March meeting to discuss Sen. McConnell replacement

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mike Lee joined nine of his colleagues on a letter to the Senate Republican Conference chairman requesting a meeting on March 18 to discuss next steps in replacing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell, R-Ky., the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

The group of 10 senators led by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., addressed the letter to GOP conference chairman John Barrasso and requested that he "call a meeting of the conference to develop a mission statement and goals for the conference, and a process to elect a new Senate Republican leader."

Lee took to X to say, "The next Senate GOP leader must emphatically denounce The UnipartyTM and permanently disband The FirmTM." In the past, Lee has used the term "The Firm" to describe Senate and House leadership on both sides of the aisle.

In addition to Lee, other signatories on the letter include Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

"There's no doubt it's time to turn the page. I mean, we've got to turn the page here as a party. We've got to get back to supporting working people over corporate interests. We've got to get rid of the corporate money that has gushed into our politics," Hawley told the Washington Post. Hawley, Braun and Johnson were among the letter's signatories who also voted against McConnell's reelection as Senate GOP leader in 2022.

On Thursday, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told his fellow senators that he will make a bid for McConnell's seat. "From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not. And I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic," Cornyn said.

Cornyn was the first to make a formal announcement about his intention in what some are saying will shape up to be the election of one of the "Three Johns."

Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Barrasso, R-Wyo., have not formally announced their bids. The Hill is reporting that Republicans are also looking to them to run. Both Thune and Barrasso declined to say whether or not they have decided to run.

"I'm going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction that they want to take with the conference," Barrasso said to The Hill.

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