Former GOP presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., will take over as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
Scott, who ran uncontested Wednesday in an internal GOP conference vote, replaces Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who helped Republicans flip four seats to win an expected 53-47 majority in last week's election.
Of 34 seats in the 2026 election cycle, 21 are held by Republicans.
"I am honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me to protect and grow our Republican majority," Scott said, The Hill reported.
"With President Trump in the White House and Republican leadership in Congress, help is on the way for the American people. Donald J. Trump proved that when we fight everywhere with the TRUTH, we win. That is why we must secure a Republican Senate for all four years of the Trump administration, and that work starts today!"
Among the senators who supported Scott were Daines, Sens. John Barrasso. R-Wyo., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been nominated to become President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state.
Incoming chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Scott began considering a run for NRSC chair in mid-October after other senators, including Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. and Katie Britt, R-Ala., decided not to seek the position.
Scott visited several key battleground states in the weeks leading up to this year's election, and a super PAC with which he's aligned also spent seven figures in some of those states.
Republican senators could face a difficult 2026 election, during which Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff may be one of the few Democrats who could be unseated.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also could face tough fights. Then there's the Ohio special election to fill the remainder of Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's term.
Scott is currently two years into what he promised would be his final term as a senator.
"Senator Scott has been a champion for conservative Republicans in South Carolina and around the country for over a decade in the U.S. Senate," said Drew McKissick, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, WCBD reported. "His work speaks for itself, in particular, his Opportunity Zones initiative that continues to bring economic success to struggling communities across our country."
"I have no doubt he will continue to be a strong leader as Chairman of the NRSC and work to lead Republicans to more Senate victories in 2026, and I applaud him for this achievement."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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