Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) has been traveling across the country this month to campaign with Senate GOP incumbents and challengers in a bid to secure the votes needed to win a closely contested leadership race against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Thune has visited Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Montana, and New York City this month to attend fundraisers for GOP candidates, including Arizona Republican candidate Kari Lake. He has made multiple trips to some of these states.
During his travels, Thune held virtual events with various candidates, such as Nevada’s Sam Brown, Ohio’s Bernie Moreno, and Nebraska’s Sen. Deb Fischer, who is facing a tough race against independent candidate Dan Osborn. He also joined a bus tour of Wisconsin with Republican businessman Eric Hovde, who is in a tight race against Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
Cornyn has also been actively campaigning, attending events with former President Trump in Texas and rallying with Trump in Reno. He has held fundraising events with candidates across the country, including Michigan’s former Rep. Mike Rogers, Nevada’s Sam Brown, and Indiana’s Rep. Jim Banks.
According to Senate Republican sources, neither Thune nor Cornyn have secured commitments from a majority of Republican senators. Many senators are waiting for the results of the 2024 election before pledging their support to a candidate. Thune and Cornyn are seen as evenly matched in their abilities and relationships, making the race unpredictable.
The third candidate in the leadership race is Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who is currently focused on his reelection campaign. Scott is considered to be trailing behind Thune and Cornyn, but his allies are hopeful that strong support from former President Trump could boost his chances.
Thune’s main priority is to help Republicans regain control of the Senate. He has significantly increased his support for GOP colleagues and candidates following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement of his retirement due to health issues.
Both Thune and Cornyn have strong fundraising records and relationships within the party, making the race for McConnell’s replacement highly competitive. Thune has been seen as the front-runner, but Cornyn has gained momentum in recent months with his fundraising accomplishments and support for Republican candidates. Please rewrite the text for me to provide you with an accurate response.