By Sean Mussenden
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
Lamar Alexander succeeds Jon Kyl of Arizona as conference chairman.
By Bristol Herald Courier File Photo
By Bristol Herald Courier File Photo
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WASHINGTON — Tennessee's Lamar Alexander was elected to the Senate's No. 3 GOP post Thursday, putting him at the center of efforts to provide opposition to the Senate's Democratic majority.
Alexander defeated Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina in a 31-16 vote of their Senate Republican colleagues. The vote for the Republican Conference chairman's job was held behind closed doors.
"I thank my colleagues for giving me this opportunity and will work hard to make both the Senate and the Republican Conference as effective as possible," said Alexander afterward.
Alexander also said he would seek "to solidify our party’s base while attracting more independents.”
The opening for the post of Senate GOP conference chairman came as part of the fallout of Mississippi GOP Sen. Trent Lott's unexpected decision to retire.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains the Republican Leader of the Senate.
But Jon Kyl of Arizona, who has been conference chairman, was elected Thursday without opposition to assume Lott's role as the No. 2 Senate Republican, or Whip.
For Alexander personally, the move to succeed Kyl as conference chairman will mean greater national visibility and a larger role in organizing and getting the Senate GOP's message out.
In that role, Alexander will preside as chairman of the Republican Senate members' regular meetings, where rule changes occur and legislation is discussed. He also will run the Republican side of the media center, where members use television, radio and the Internet to get their views and messages to the public.
His selection as selection as conference chairman also may be good for Tennesseans, when there are Tennessee-specific issues that need to be resolved or brought to the leadership table.
But Alexander, who has already announced he is running next year for a second six-year Senate term, can't assume that election to an internal party leadership post is any guarantee of later success at the polls.
Kyl had succeeded Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in conference chairman's job, after Santorum lost his bid for re-election to the Senate last fall.
Alexander's election marks the return of a Tennessean to Senate GOP leadership ranks, following the retirement of former Majority Leader Bill Frist last year.
As for Burr?
“He’ll continue to do what he was doing beforehand, representing the people of North Carolina and work to solve problems,” Burr's spokesman Chris Walker said.
There are 49 Republicans in the Senate, but Lott did not vote because he is retiring. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is running for president, missed the vote because he was campaigning.
Alexander defeated Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina in a 31-16 vote of their Senate Republican colleagues. The vote for the Republican Conference chairman's job was held behind closed doors.
"I thank my colleagues for giving me this opportunity and will work hard to make both the Senate and the Republican Conference as effective as possible," said Alexander afterward.
Alexander also said he would seek "to solidify our party’s base while attracting more independents.”
The opening for the post of Senate GOP conference chairman came as part of the fallout of Mississippi GOP Sen. Trent Lott's unexpected decision to retire.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains the Republican Leader of the Senate.
But Jon Kyl of Arizona, who has been conference chairman, was elected Thursday without opposition to assume Lott's role as the No. 2 Senate Republican, or Whip.
For Alexander personally, the move to succeed Kyl as conference chairman will mean greater national visibility and a larger role in organizing and getting the Senate GOP's message out.
In that role, Alexander will preside as chairman of the Republican Senate members' regular meetings, where rule changes occur and legislation is discussed. He also will run the Republican side of the media center, where members use television, radio and the Internet to get their views and messages to the public.
His selection as selection as conference chairman also may be good for Tennesseans, when there are Tennessee-specific issues that need to be resolved or brought to the leadership table.
But Alexander, who has already announced he is running next year for a second six-year Senate term, can't assume that election to an internal party leadership post is any guarantee of later success at the polls.
Kyl had succeeded Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in conference chairman's job, after Santorum lost his bid for re-election to the Senate last fall.
Alexander's election marks the return of a Tennessean to Senate GOP leadership ranks, following the retirement of former Majority Leader Bill Frist last year.
As for Burr?
“He’ll continue to do what he was doing beforehand, representing the people of North Carolina and work to solve problems,” Burr's spokesman Chris Walker said.
There are 49 Republicans in the Senate, but Lott did not vote because he is retiring. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is running for president, missed the vote because he was campaigning.