Senators Fight to Be GOP's No. 2

Following Sen. Jon Kyl’s (R-AZ) decision not to seek reelection, the GOP leadership is now scrambling to decide who will take his place as whip, the No. 2 position in the GOP. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is now in his second term running the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), currently No. 3 on the food chain in the Republican’s Senate leadership, serving as chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, are reportedly jockeying for the position, according to their aides. Alexander ran for the whip job once before, losing in 2006 to then-Sen. Trent Lott by just one vote. Republicans have so far avoided infighting within their Senate leadership, unlike the Democrats who seem to endure a tough battle between Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) each time an opportunity arises to succeed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).