Donald Trump’s allies have backed Florida senator Rick Scott’s bid to be the party’s new leader in the upper chamber, seeking a loyalist to help push the president-elect’s agenda through Congress.
The pro-Trump former Florida governor is running against senators John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, both allies of outgoing leader Mitch McConnell. Whoever wins the leadership contest will become Senate majority leader when the next Congress begins in January.
The contest is an early test of Trump and his Maga movement’s influence on Congress as he returns to power. Trump suggested on social media on Sunday that he should be able to bypass lawmakers to speed up appointments, though the practice has not been used since Barack Obama was in office following a 2014 Supreme Court decision.