An aide to Senator Jon Cornyn has confirmed to The Daily Caller that the Texas Republican has decided to jump into the race to replace Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) as Senate GOP whip.
Cornyn’s decision follows Kyl’s Thursday announcement that he would be retiring at the end of the current term, creating an open field for the GOP’s number two rank in the Senate.
Cornyn will face a strong challenge for the post with competition from Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).
Jonathan Strong contributed to this report.
Senator Alexander’s home state has been corrected.