Cornyn has for years signaled he wanted to succeed his close ally GOP leader Mitch McConnell. He lost in a vote decided by the Republican members of the Senate.

Texas, is one of three senators seeking to become Senate majority leader next year, when Republicans take majority control of the Senate. Here are five things to know about Cornyn. He’s a former justice and attorney general Cornyn was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1990 and served as a justice for seven years before becoming the first Republican

Reports from Washington have Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who serves as Senate Republican whip, winning the leadership role after two rounds of voting by secret ballot. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who had earned the support of several allies of President Donald Trump, was reportedly eliminated during the first round of voting.