Thursday, the Senate Republican conference held their leadership elections for the 114th Session of Congress: Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will become Majority Leader; John Cornyn (R-TX) will be the Senate Republican Whip; John Thune (R-SD) the Senate Republican Conference Chairman; John Barrasso (R-WY) the Senate Republican Policy Chairman; Roy Blunt (R-MO) the Senate Republican Vice Conference Chairman; and Roger Wicker (R-MS) as National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman.
On the other side of the aisle, Harry Reid – (D-NV) will be the new Minority Leader for the Democrats, and he announced three new members of his leadership team: John Tester (D-MT) is the new head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; Amy Klobuchar, (D-MN) is chairwoman of Steering and Outreach; and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will have a newly created post to reach out to the progressive wing of the party.
In the House, after having captured their biggest majority since the 1920s, the Republicans nominated by voice vote John Boehner (R-OH) for the top job of Speaker of the House. Boehner won’t officially win the gavel for the 114th Congress until January, when Republicans participate in a public vote on the House floor to reelect the Speaker.
In other House leadership races, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was reelected to his post by voice vote. McCarthy first won the position over the summer after the shocking primary defeat of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA). Following McCarthy’s election, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) was reelected to that position, as was Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and House GOP Campaign Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) by voice vote. None of them faced opposition.
In the one competitive race for a leadership spot, House Republicans elected Luke Messer (R-IN) to serve as GOP Policy Committee chairman. The Policy Committee chairman is tasked with equipping members with research and aiding committees as they draft legislation. The chairman also gets a spot at the leadership table and a vote on the Steering Committee.
House Democrats will elect their leaders next week, though the lineup is expected to remain largely unchanged: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer – (D-MD), Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn – (D-SC) and Democratic Caucus Chair – Xavier Becerra – (D-CA).
