Prominent conservatives pump the brakes on McConnell and McCarthy's GOP Leadership dreams

Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Still reeling from what has widely been seen as an underwhelming showing in this year's midterm elections, congressional Republicans are now facing a growing movement to delay the scheduled leadership votes that will determine who will set the GOP agenda in the coming legislative session.

In a letter obtained by outgoing Axios reporter Jonathan Swan on Monday, a slate of conservative notables "strongly" urged House and Senate Republicans to postpone choosing their respective caucus leaders until after the Georgia runoff election is decided on December 6. Citing the need for GOP leaders who will "confidently and skillfully present a persuasive coherent vision" for the party's future, the letter is notable not just for what it says, but for who is saying it; signatories include Mark Meadows, onetime chief of staff to former President Donald Trump, and Ginni Thomas, wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. All told, the dozens of conservative notables behind the letter represent a major nexus of right-wing influence and finance at the highest levels.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.