McConnell campaigns against term limits for future GOP leaders

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is insisting to his conference that imposing term limits on Senate leadership is a bad idea, according to sources familiar with a recent closed-door GOP lunch.

The Kentucky Republican, who has served 18 years as Senate GOP leader, is attempting to preserve how leadership operates as he is set to step down from the position and as his possible successors consider making major changes to the direction of the conference.

Speaking to his fellow Republican senators on Tuesday, McConnell suggested that implementing term limits could put the Senate at a disadvantage to the House, where the speaker does not have a term limit, according to those familiar.

Other positions within Senate Republican leadership have six-year term limits. Senate Republican chairmen and ranking committee members are also limited to six years or three full Congresses in each position.

McConnell surpassed late Sen. Mike Mansfield as the longest-serving Senate party leader in history in January 2023. The Republican leader announced this year that he would vacate his post but would serve out the remainder of his term in the upper chamber.

He also made the argument that setting term limits could hinder a future leader from building the strong fundraising needed to elect Republicans and take back the majority, pointing to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with the Senate leader that has been able to raise cash.

McConnell’s comments aren’t new. He made the case in early March that it is “totally inappropriate” for there to be term limits on the Senate GOP leader, speaking to reporters.

“We have term limits — they’re called elections,” he said at the time.

Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Cornyn (R-TX), who are both running to be the next Senate GOP leader, have endorsed the idea of term limits. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) has not gone as far, only advocating some changes that could give senators more opportunities to get involved in legislation, such as allowing a more robust amendment process.

Cornyn, who stepped down from his position as Senate Republican whip at the end of 2018, made the case for instituting term limits in a post on X in early March.

“One reason I am running to be the next Republican leader is because I believe the Senate needs more engagement from all of my colleagues, and that includes the opportunity for any member to serve in leadership,” wrote Cornyn, 72.

“I will support a conference vote to change the rules and institute term limits for the Republican Leader,” he added.

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McConnell’s comments to the conference come as the race among various leadership candidates is well underway.

Differences in philosophy are on full display as Senate Republicans grapple with a clear divide between their old guard and the more conservative and populist Trump allies. The fractures between the two sides were also on display in previous votes on aid to Ukraine and immigration.