Marco Rubio joins call for Senate leadership vote delay

A second Florida Senator seems willing to consider life in the GOP caucus after Mitch McConnell’s leadership.

Fresh off a decisive win Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted Friday that the “Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed.” This comes as other Senators, including Rick Scott, circulate a petition to that effect.

“First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities & values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like Florida,” Rubio added. 

Rubio’s campaign and Senate Office have been contacted to provide more context to his tweet, but have not yet responded.

The ultimate composition of the Senate won’t be known until the Georgia runoff between U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker wraps next month, which could mean a long delay.

Rubio offered some context for these thoughts on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle Thursday, though he stopped short of suggesting a leadership vote delay.

“The old Republican Party can probably win some elections from time to time in a few places if the conditions are right. A new Republican Party can compete among anyone anywhere. The new Republican Party is a party that should be grounded in common sense and wisdom. It should be fighting for working-class values. It should be putting the interests of Americans first,” Rubio said.

“A Republican Party that fights for working people is a party that has a chance to compete anywhere among any group in this country,” he added.

The day before, Rubio tweeted a 30-second hype video that seemed to speak to many of the same themes.

“I’m more energized and excited about working in the Senate than I think I have been anytime. I believe we are on the cusp of a new generation of leadership in this Republican Party,” Rubio asserted, words that seem in retrospect to suggest a post-McConnell world.

Rubio’s tweet was attaboyed by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz:

“So proud of my Senator! We should not hold leadership elections in the House or Senate until we know exactly who will constitute the Republican conferences in each chamber. Marco knows we must be very deliberate about this & make good choices for the people!”

The Rubio call for delay comes just hours after a knockdown of Scott in POLITICO, which outlined Scott’s intentions to mount a wild-card challenge to McConnell if the GOP had gotten a clear-cut Senate majority Tuesday night.

Scott’s challenge to McConnell would have been with former President Donald Trump’s blessing.