McConnell, Schumer Re-Elected to Top Senate Leadership Posts

(Bloomberg) -- Mitch McConnell was re-elected to lead Senate Republicans during the next session of Congress that starts in January, while Chuck Schumer will return to his role as the Senate’s top Democrat. But the question of which man will be the majority leader remains open.

Senators in both parties Tuesday are holding their leadership elections, leaving mostly intact the teams that led them through a divisive national election that left control of the chamber to be decided by two January runoffs in Georgia.

Republicans now hold a 53-47 seat majority in the chamber, and after last week’s elections they likely will be left with 50 seats to 48 for Democrats, pending final race calls in North Carolina and Alaska. The seats currently held by Georgia Republican senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue will be on the ballot in the Jan. 5 runoff.

McConnell, who has led Senate Republicans since 2006, was re-elected by acclamation, according to a spokesman. Other top leaders, including Senator John Thune of South Dakota and Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, are expected to be returned to their top jobs. The only key leadership change in McConnell’s team is the addition of Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who is expected to be elected to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee as it looks to recapture or expand the GOP majority in the 2022 midterm elections.

On the Democratic side, all Democratic leaders were returned to their jobs on Schumer’s team, including Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, who is the party’s whip, and Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who is the assistant Democratic leader.

Schumer created new leadership positions for Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who will serve as vice chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. And Senator Catherine Cortez Masto will be vice chair of outreach.

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