Each
party’s chief spokesperson and coordinator of legislative strategies and
priorities in the Senate.
The Natural
The
Constitution does not establish leader positions in the Senate. The role of
leader is separate from the Constitutionally required
Senate president
pro tempore, who has the responsibility
for presiding over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. The parties
did not formalize
leader roles until the dawn of the 20th century. Senate Democrats began electing
leaders in 1889,
and Republicans followed in 1913.
Today, leaders are elected by a majority of
their respective caucuses via secret balloting. The Democrats call their leader
the “Chairman of the Conference,” while the GOP calls theirs the “Republican
Leader.” Each caucus also chooses a whip, who is responsible for ensuring their
members are present for votes and for voting in line with their party.
Remember the Titans
There have been many historic majority and
minority leaders.
President Lyndon Johnson (D-TX) was chosen by his fellow Democrats as Senate
minority leader in 1953 after Republicans took full control of Congress,
becoming the most junior senator ever elected to the position. Senator Bob Dole
(R-KS) served as Republican Leader from 1985 to 1996, with most of those years
the minority.
No Senator has served as leader of their
respective party longer than Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). McConnell became
Republican Leader in 2007 and is best known for his skill in advancing
judicial nominations for his caucus. Much of McConnell’s time as leader came
alongside the also-historic tenure of Speaker Nancy
Pelosi (D-CA), who served two terms as speaker and was her caucus’s longtime
leader until 2023.
Invictus
Senate leaders work closely with committee
chairs and ranking members, and with the other officers of their leadership
team, to conduct official business and manage floor votes. Senate President Pro
Tempore Patty Murray
(D-WA), not Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), will play a significant role
in the upcoming impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas.
In February, McConnell announced that he
would be stepping down as leader later this year. Several GOP senators are
vying to replace McConnell, including Senators John Thune (R-SD) and John
Cornyn (R-TX). Republican Senators will vote on his replacement after the
November election.