Senate Democrats will wait until the week of Dec. 5 to hold their leadership elections, which means they will likely know the results of the Georgia runoff and which party will be in the majority next year before casting their ballots.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to easily win re-election as Senate Democratic leader and he told reporters earlier this week that he was “feeling good” about where Democrats stood after Election Day.
The Democratic caucus rules set the leadership elections in December, so they are expected sometime the week of Dec. 5, according to a Senate leadership aide.
None of the top members of the Democratic leadership team, which include Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray (Wash.) and Policy and Communications Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), are expected to face a challenge.
Senators are waiting for the results of the Nevada Senate race and the Georgia runoff between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and Herschel Walker to know which party will be in the majority next year.
The news on timing of the Democrats’ elections comes as Senate Republicans are wrangling over when to conduct their own leadership elections.
A group of Republicans, including Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) and Ted Cruz (Texas), have called for delaying their conference’s leadership election until after the Dec. 6 Georgia runoff.
“The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed. First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities & values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like Florida,” Rubio tweeted on Friday.
That suggestion was quickly seconded by Hawley.
“Exactly right. I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished,” Hawley tweeted. “We have a runoff in #GASenate – are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker.”
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on Thursday rejected that suggestion.
A source familiar with the timing of the GOP election confirmed that it still will be held Wednesday morning.