By Senate Republicans on Wednesday voted to keep Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as their captain, despite a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and calls from other GOP senators to delay their leadership election.
Scott’s effort to become the U.S. Senate’s new minority leader had been expected to fall short, but it’s a fresh sign of the rift between McConnell and the Florida lawmaker and reflects the finger-pointing that has followed the weaker-than-expected performance by Republicans in this month’s midterm elections.
While the GOP had hoped for a red wave, Democrats are projected to have stayed in control of the Senate, and Republicans appear on track to win only a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
House Republicans on Tuesday chose Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as their nominee for speaker, after he also faced opposition from some of his colleagues. McCarthy has served as the chamber’s minority leader for about four years.
U.S. stocks
SPX,
-0.74%
DJIA,
-0.12%
mostly slipped on Wednesday as a poorly received earnings report weighed on retailers and geopolitical concerns continued to bite.
