Who will replace Mitch McConnell as the Senate's top Republican?

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mitch McConnell surprised colleagues on Wednesday by announcing he would step down as the Republican leader this fall.

With hard-right Republican senators aligned with former President Donald Trump wanting to oust him, and Trump easily becoming the party's frontrunner for a do-over election with President Joe Biden – McConnell knew the time had come, according to the Associated Press. 

Though no senator has announced their intention to run, there have been some vying for the job behind the scenes, the AP reported.

Here’s what to know about McConnell’s departure and who could replace him:

Mitch McConnell to resign in November 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is seen outside the Senate Chamber in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2024. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

McConnell's departure leaves the Senate, and the Republican Party itself, at an uncertain crossroads. 

The announcement came days before the Super Tuesday presidential primary elections when Trump is expected to sweep up more states in his march to the Republican Party nomination.

Trump's ascent proved to be an almost untenable political situation for McConnell — the two men have not spoken since December 2020, when McConnell declared that Biden had legally won that year's election. McConnell lashed out at the defeated president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, calling Trump "morally responsible" for the bloody siege. He has not yet endorsed Trump for president in 2024.

Like the House, where Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker in fall, the Senate is now following suit in the Trump era – essentially leaving the long-serving McConnell with few options but to decide for himself it was time to go.

"I think it’ll be great, because I think Trump will win, we have a leader who can work well with the next Republican president," Sen. JD Vance of Ohio said Wednesday. 

Behind closed doors, Republican senators gave McConnell a standing ovation during a private luncheon. Even some of McConnell’s biggest critics praised him after he spoke. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said it was a "poignant moment."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said while he thinks McConnell could have won another term if he sought one, he acknowledged the historic political shift underway in the GOP.

"I think the Republican Party is going through a pretty dramatic transition," Rubio said. "And that’s obviously playing out in the halls of Congress as well."

And increasingly emboldened detractors piled on Wednesday saying McConnell's leaving could not come fast enough — and in fact, he should step down before his announced November departure.

"This is a good development — my question is: Why wait so long?" said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

Hawley said November is a long time away. "We need new leadership. Now."

Who could replace Mitch McConnell?

It remains highly unclear who will replace McConnell when he steps aside, although a handful of senators have been vying for the job behind closed doors, according to the Associated Press. 

A trio of Republican senators in leadership roles known as the "three Johns" — the No. 2 Republican John Thune of South Dakota, former whip John Cornyn of Texas and John Barrasso of Wyoming — have been suggested as contenders for the role.

FILE - (L-R) Sen. John Barasso (R-WY), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) talk prior to a press conference on a proposed Democratic tax plan, at the U.S. Capitol on August 04, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Pho

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Cornyn, who served as McConnell’s No. 2 in leadership before he was term-limited out of the job five years ago, is citing his experience in that role in a statement Thursday to fellow senators announcing his run. But he also is trying to distinguish himself from McConnell, saying, "I believe the Senate is broken -- that is not news to anyone."

"From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not," Cornyn said. "And I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic."

Thune told reporters that obviously McConnell's departure leaves "big shoes to fill," but that now is a time "to reflect on his service and honor him for that. And then we’ll, we’ll go from there."

Barrasso said he will be talking to fellow senators and listening to what they have to say about the "direction they want to take."

There could be other challengers, too. 

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a millionaire former governor who had challenged McConnell for the top job last time, could also run again. Scott said he was focused on his own reelection in the fall, but "we’ll see what happens."

The longest-serving Senate leader, McConnell helmed his party in both the majority and minority, and he has not tipped his hand on whom he wants to replace him. 

Leadership elections typically take place in November, after the national elections, with new leaders taking the helm with the new Congress in January.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. It was reported from Cincinnati.