John Cornyn is running to succeed Mitch McConnell after years waiting in his shadow. But the far-right, in Texas and Washington, are putting up a fight.

Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota was elected new Senate majority leader, replacing Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is stepping aside. The contest to be the face of Senate Republicans is coming to a head this week. One issue contenders might want to avoid during the final stretch is Trump's ambitious tariff plan.

Cornyn has for years signaled he wanted to succeed his close ally GOP leader Mitch McConnell. He lost in a vote decided by the Republican members of the Senate.

Sen. John Cornyn, the state’s senior senator, is running to succeed longtime Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The three-way race for majority leader will be decided this week. Here are five things to know about the race:

Reports on social media from Washington have Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who serves as Senate Republican whip, winning the leadership role after two rounds of voting by secret ballot. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who had earned the support of several allies of President Donald Trump, was reportedly eliminated during the first round of voting.

U.S. Senate Republicans elected John Thune of South Dakota to be the Majority Leader starting in January, opting for a seasoned and well-respected lawmaker despite pressure by supporters of Donald Trump to pick someone willing to toe the MAGA line.