Lankford to seek Senate leadership post in next Congress

Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford will seek the position of Senate Republican Conference vice chair in the next Congress, the number five slot in the party's upper chamber hierarchy.

"As senators, we were elected to do hard things and to solve problems by doing the right thing, the right way. It is my desire to serve our conference in every way I can as we work together to solve the challenges our nation faces," he told Politico.

Current Conference Vice Chair Shelley Moore Capito is looking to move up a rung on the ladder and claim the post of Policy Committee chair. GOP leadership more broadly appears poised for a shakeup as Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced his plans to step down from the post. Sens. John Thune, S.D., and John Cornyn, Texas, have thrown their hats into the ring to succeed him.

Lankford attracted attention this year as the lead Republican negotiator for an ill-fated border deal that would have paired a foreign aid package with border security reforms. Republicans ultimately tanked the proposal, deeming the border security provisions insufficient and the upper chamber ultimately approved only the foreign aid component.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.