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BY: @MattMackowiak [ [link removed] ]
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THURSDAY || 11/14/24
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TOP NEWS   
“John Cornyn loses longtime bid to be next Senate majority leader to John Thune,” Texas Tribune's Matthew Choi — “Sen. John Cornyn lost his election Wednesday to become the next Senate majority leader to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, ending a years-long effort to lead his party conference.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced earlier this year that he would not seek another term leading the party, ending his 17-year tenure. He is the longest serving party leader in the history of the U.S. Senate. The opening led to the first competitive campaign for GOP leader in decades, the stakes of which were raised after Republicans won control of the upper chamber last week.
Cornyn had spent decades climbing the ranks of the Senate GOP, building relationships and raising money so he could one day succeed McConnell.
In making his pitch, Cornyn cited his decades fundraising for his fellow Republicans, including raising nearly $33 million for Republican candidates and incumbents this election cycle. He has raised over $414 million over his tenure in the Senate.
Cornyn served as McConnell's whip from 2013 to 2019, a job that required him to build personal relationships with each senator to get them on board the party's agenda while giving him a seat in McConnell's inner circle. Cornyn remained close to McConnell after he was term-limited out of his whip post.
Ultimately, Thune, another McConnell acolyte who succeeded Cornyn as the whip, bested Cornyn and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida who previously served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Scott had built momentum among the hard right wing of the party, including vocal online support from the MAGA wing of the party.
"I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House," Thune said in a statement. "This Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda, and our work starts today."
Cornyn congratulated the new slate of Senate Republican leaders in a statement, saying he was eager to work with the next leadership team.
“We are united and prepared to enact President Trump’s agenda on day one, and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to take advantage of the opportunities we will have next year to confirm nominees, address our national debt, extend the Trump tax cuts, and reverse the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous border policies,” Cornyn said.
The party vote was conducted by secret ballot among senators-elect and senators who would be serving in the next Congress. Vice President-elect JD Vance also attended as the future president of the Senate but didn't speak during the conference meeting, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia said.
Most senators did not say how they would be voting ahead of the meeting. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz broke his silence on the matter less than an hour before the meeting to say that he was supporting Scott in the leadership race.
“This morning, I’ll be voting for Rick Scott for GOP Leader, as I did two years ago. In 2022, I helped lead the charge for Rick against McConnell & I’m proud to stand with him again,” Cruz posted on social media [ [link removed] ]. “For 12 yrs, I’ve been unequivocal that we need to change GOP Leadership—and now we finally will.”
Scott came in last during the first round of voting, launching a second round between Cornyn and Thune. Cruz declined to answer if he voted for Cornyn in the second round. When asked before the vote if he would vote for Cornyn in a runoff between him and Thune, Cruz said he’d make the decision in the room.
Cornyn campaigned with Cruz and gave him more than $500,000 in what was ultimately one of the most expensive Senate races in Texas history. He also stumped for Cruz during his competitive 2018 reelection against U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, which Cruz won by only 3 percentage points. Cruz also helped Cornyn electorally, rallying the right wing for Cornyn during his 2020 election against Democrat MJ Hegar." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE ENDED: As of July 11, 2022, we have moved to a paywall for free subscribers. Free subscribers will only receive the top story in their morning email. Free subscribers will need to become paid subscribers to receive full story summaries.
HOU CHRON: “Texas Democrats search for what's next on abortion messaging” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
FW REPORT: “Cook Children's announces new medical tower, 10-year expansion in Fort Worth” FW Report [ [link removed] ]
DMN: “Steakhouse owner Al Biernat, one of Dallas' most connected restaurateurs, has died after ALS battle” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DMN: Brian Harrison and Vance Ginn guest column: “Universal school choice, the Texas mandate is clear after the election” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOU CHRON: “TIRZs keep growing in Texas, despite efforts to stop them” Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
DMN: “Gov. Abbott said Texas universities cannot raise tuition for two years” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DMN: “Dallas drops decades-old police staffing recommendations” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DMN: Editorial: “The bill for Dallas homeless is nearly $200 million” DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAEN: “What SAISD wants for its land for a Missions baseball stadium” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TX TRIB: “How Ted Cruz pulled off a decisive win and kept his White House hopes afloat” Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
REUTERS: “Frontier shareholders approve $9.6 billion deal with Verizon” Reuters [ [link removed] ]
SAEN: “Rackspace back in the red despite new strategy, AI investments” SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TX TRIB: “U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul briefly detained after appearing intoxicated at airport” Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE   
 > FWST: "Texas restaurants, businesses reveal child care reform demands for upcoming session" FWST [ [link removed] ]
 > TX MONTHLY: "San Antonio Is Booming. Why Is It Still So Poor?" TX MONTHLY [ [link removed] ]
 > FWST: "Mercy Culture’s proposed human trafficking victim shelter hits a roadblock" FWST [ [link removed] ]
 > MRT: "EPA's methane fee draws criticism from industry leaders" MRT [ [link removed] ]
 > THE TEXAN: "Chinese Land Ownership, Border Security, Gender Privacy: Legislative Filing Opens in Texas" THE TEXAN [ [link removed] ]
 > SAEN: "Brad Simpson allegedly went to dump with 'large bulky item'" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
 > SA REPORT: "Records reveal what led to Brad Simpson’s murder charge after Suzanne Clark Simpson went missing" SA REPORT [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "Homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties cost nearly $200 million last year" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > DMN: "Real estate developer pleads guilty to bribing two Dallas City Council members, feds say" DMN [ [link removed] ]
 > TPR: "How scams and fraud are casting a shadow on home rooftop solar" TPR [ [link removed] ]
 > HOU CHRON: "What's the top issue for Harris County voters? Not property taxes or flooding." HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS   
Last night's Texas sports scores:
 > NBA: Houston 111, LA Clippers 103
 > NBA: San Antonio 139, Washington 130
 > NCAAM: #4 Houston 91, Louisiana 45
 > NCAAM: North Texas 54, Minnesota 51
 > NCAAM: Texas Tech 96, Wyoming 49
 > NCAAM: USC 98, UT-Arlington 95
 > NCAAM: #14 Creighton 78, Houston Christian 43
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
 > 7pm: NHL: Boston at Dallas (ESPN+)
 > 8pm: NBA: Dallas at Utah
 > 8:30pm: NCAAM: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at New Mexico State (ESPN+)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: Golden: "Texas football's long blod feud with Arkansas stays fueled thanks to the Hogs" AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: "Texas A&M football vs New Mexico State: Scouting report, predictions for Week 12" AAS [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "Spurs' Victor Wembanyama scores 50 points vs. Washington Wizards" SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "After Gregg Popovich's stroke, Spurs dealing with 'difficult time'" SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOUSTON ROCKETS: "Houston Rockets: Tari Easton, Amen Thompson key win over Clippers" Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
SMU FOOTBALL: "How SMU's ACC-leading defensive line became one of the top transfer portal success stories" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: "Arkansas' defense has a key weakness. Will Texas football alter its approach to attack it?" AAS ($)
TYSON-PAUL: Watkins: "Tyson-Paul isn't a gimick fight. It's just what boxing needs" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Houston Astros: Dana Brown has a craving for selective hitters" Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)

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