Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to step down before the end of his term, MEA Worldwide reports. The Kentucky senator, who has served since 1985, was elected to his seventh term in 2020. McConnell is currently working on an exit strategy with the Kentucky legislature, which has introduced a bill that would strip the Democratic governor of the power to appoint vacant senators in favor of the Kentucky Republican Party designating candidates to serve as U.S. senators.
The sudden shift is part of McConnell’s plan to secure his political legacy, which has reportedly faltered after a public break with former President Trump following the Jan. 6 rebellion.
Under Kentucky law, the governor is tasked with choosing a person to temporarily replace the retiring senator until the next statewide election. McConnell and Republican lawmakers are working on a plan to change the current situation. Senate Bill 228 would strip the governor of that power and task the same party as the senator, the state executive committee, with the task of choosing a senatorial candidate. They would submit a list of three candidates to the governor for his or her selection, rather than allowing the governor to pick at his or her discretion. The bill was sponsored by Gov. Robert Stivers (R) and co-sponsored by state Sen. Tom Buford (R).
The Intercept says the Kentucky Republican Party has prepared a list of possible successors, topped by state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, with former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft and Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams . All three are very close to McConnell.
According to The Intercept, Republicans are concerned that Democratic Governor Beshear (Andy Beshear) will choose a Democratic candidate to replace McConnell, giving the Democrats an advantage in a 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate, a situation Republicans hope to avoid.
There is no deadline for McConnell to leave, but if the bill passes, he could retire before the end of the year. Since Republicans have veto-proof majorities in both houses of the state legislature, the bill is likely to pass. That would allow McConnell to leave national politics while ensuring that the power arrangement in the Senate remains intact.
The Gateway Pundit asks, “It’s Time for McConnell to go, right?
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