WASHINGTON — Mitch McConnell fended off a challenge to his leadership of Senate Republicans on Wednesday, beating back a long-shot provocation from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who commanded the party’s campaign committee this cycle.
McConnell was reelected Republican leader by a majority of his 49 colleagues after a failed attempt by a group of senators to delay the vote until after Georgia’s Senate runoff election on Dec. 6.
The motion to delay the vote for Republican leader gained just 16 votes; Scott’s bid against McConnell netted even fewer votes, just 10.
