Josh Hawley Says He Will Not Support Mitch McConnell for Senate Majority Leader

Hawley
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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said that he would not support Mitch McConnell for Senate Majority Leader if the Republican Party takes back the Senate on Tuesday.

The senator made his declaration during a campaign stop on Monday, according to political reporter Galen Bacharier.

“I don’t imagine I will, no,” Hawley reportedly said when asked if he would support Mitch McConnell. “I’m not sure if any other senator will run or not. Nobody’s indicated they would. But my view is that we need new leadership in that position.”

Bacharier added that “Hawley ticked off a list of decisions over the last 2 years he disagreed on – Ukraine funding, infrastructure & public safety bills, campaign spending in AZ/NH. ‘I did not agree with the idea that you go out there and badmouth our own candidates in the middle of an election.'”

As Breitbart News reported, the Alaska Republican Party voted to censure Mitch McConnell in October for using his Senate Leadership Fund to spend “$9 million against [Republican Kelly] Tshibaka to protect 21-year incumbent and pro-impeachment Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is in a very tight reelection race.”

The censure passed by a 49-8 vote.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) concludes a news conference after the Senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“The Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee condemns the divisive and misleading statements from the Senate Leadership Fund and the inappropriate use of millions of dollars from the Senate Leadership Fund to oppose our endorsed candidate, Kelly Tshibaka,” the resolution read.

“Finally, be it resolved that we request the Senate Leadership Fund immediately stop the attack ads against Kelly Tshibaka and discontinue the support of all other opposing candidates,” it continued.

Several Republican Senate candidates have also expressed trepidation when asked if they would support Mitch McConnell as majority leader. When the Hill asked “nearly two dozen Senate candidates this week if they would support McConnell as leader if elected,” not one campaign said that they would support him.

“Several candidates declared their opposition to McConnell and attacked their GOP primary opponents for not taking a stance on the question,” the Hill noted. “Other candidates deflected, or spoke on background about the bind they’re in over the question of McConnell’s leadership.”

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