A Brief History of Senate Republican Leadership Elections
Senate Republicans contested leadership races on a regular basis prior to the 104th Congress. However, the frequency of competitive contests declined dramatically after Republicans placed term limits on their leadership positions in 1995 (exempting the Republican floor leader and the president pro tempore). Republicans’ contested leadership elections since the 94th Congress are listed below.
Pre-Term Limits: Republicans averaged 2 contested leadership elections every Congress. Incumbents were also frequently challenged.
Post-term limits: Republicans averaged less than one contested leadership elections every Congress. The only incumbent to be challenged during this period was Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho, who defeated Pete V. Domenici’s, R-N.Mex, bid to chair the Republican Policy Committee in the 107th Congress.
While contested leadership elections are rare in the post-term limit era, the narrow margins of victory featured in those contests that do occur suggests that the decline in competitiveness is not due to increased unanimity among Republicans regarding their leadership. On those occasions when the rank-and-file are offered a choice between two competing visions, they almost always divide evenly.
94th Congress
Conference Chair
Carl T. Curtis, R-Neb., defeated Jacob K. Javits, R-N.Y. by a vote of 23 to 14.
95th Congress
Floor Leader
Howard H. Baker, R-Tenn., defeated Robert P. Griffin, R-Mich., by a vote of 19 to 18.
Conference Vice Chair
Clifford P. Hansen, R-Wyo., defeated Robert T. Stafford, R-Vt., by a vote of 20 to 17.
96th Congress
Conference Chair
Robert W. Packwood, R-Ore., defeated James A. McClure, R-Idaho, by a vote of 22 to 19.
Conference Vice Chair
Edward J. Garn, R-Utah, defeated John H. Chafee, R-R.I., by a vote of 21 to 19.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair (NRSC)
John Heinz III, R-Pa., defeated Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, by a vote of 21 to 20.
97th Congress
Conference Chair
James A. McClure, R-Idaho, defeated John Heinz III, R-Pa., by a vote of 33 to 20.
98th Congress
NRSC
Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., defeated Robert W. Packwood, R-Ore., by a vote of 29 to 25.
99th Congress
Floor Leader
Robert J. Dole, R-Kans., defeated Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., Pete V. Domenici, R-N.Mex., and James A. McClure, R-Idaho. Dole prevailed over Stevens on the fourth (and final) ballot by a vote of 28 to 25.
Whip
Alan K. Simpson, R-Wyo., defeated Slade Gorton, R-Wash., and Robert W. Kasten, R-Wis.. Simpson prevailed over Gorton on the second (and final) ballot by a vote of 31 to 22.
Conference Chair
John H. Chafee, R-R.I., defeated Edward J. Garn, R-Utah, by a vote of 28 to 25.
Conference Vice Chair
Thad Cochran, R-Miss., defeated Rudy E. Boschwitz, R-Minn., by a vote of 32 to 21.
NRSC
John Heinz III, R-Pa., defeated Malcolm Wallop, R-Wyo., by a vote of 27 to 26.
100th Congress
No contested races
101st Congress
Conference Chair
John H. Chafee, R-R.I., defeated Frank H. Murkowski, R-Alaska, by a vote of 28 to 17.
NRSC
Don Nickles, R-Okla., defeated John McCain, R-Ariz., by a vote of 28 to 17.
102nd Congress
Conference Chair
Thad Cochran, R-Miss., defeated John H. Chafee, R-R.I., by a vote of 22 to 21.
Conference Vice Chair
Robert W. Kasten, R-Wis., defeated Christopher S. Bond, R-Mo., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., by a vote of 26 (Kasten) to 17 (Bond) and 20 (Lott).
Policy Committee (RPC)
Don Nickles, R-Okla., defeated Pete V. Domenici, R-N.Mex., on the second ballot by a vote of 23 to 20 (after a tie vote on the first ballot).
NRSC
Phil Gramm, R-Tex., defeated Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., by a vote of 26 to 17.
103rd Congress
Whip
Alan K. Simpson, R-Wyo., defeated Slade Gorton, R-Wash., by a vote of 25 to 14.
Conference Vice Chair
Christopher S. Bond, R-Mo., defeated Frank H. Murkowski, R-Alaska, by a vote of 14 to 5.
NRSC
Phil Gramm, R-Tex., defeated Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., by a vote of 20 to 19.
104th Congress
Floor Leader
Trent Lott, R-Miss., defeated Thad Cochran, R-Miss., by a vote of 44 to 8 (in 1996 after Robert J. Dole, R-Kans., stepped down from the position).
Whip
Trent Lott, R-Miss., defeated Alan K. Simpson, R-Wyo., by a vote of 27 to 26.
RPC
Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho, defeated Daniel R. Coats, R-Ind., and Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah. Craig prevailed over Coats on the second (and final) ballot by a vote of 30 to 22.
105th Congress
(Leadership Term Limits Take Effect)
Conference Chair
Paul D. Coverdell, R-Ga., defeated Conrad R. Burns, R-Mont., by a vote of 41 to 14.
106th Congress
NRSC
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., defeated Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., by a vote of 39 to 13.
107th Congress
Conference Chair
Rick Santorum, R-Pa., defeated Christopher S. Bond, R-Mo., by a vote of 30 to 20.
RPC
Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho, defeated Pete V. Domenici, R-N.Mex, by a vote of 26 to 24.
108th Congress
No contested races
109th Congress
NRSC
Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., defeated Norm Coleman, R-Minn., by a vote of 28 to 27.
110th Congress
Whip
Trent Lott, R-Miss., defeated Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., by a vote of 25 to 24.
Conference Chair
Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., defeated Richard Burr, R-N.C., by a vote of 31 to 16.
111th Congress
No contested races
112th Congress
Conference Vice Chair
Roy Blunt, R-Mo., defeated Ron Johnson, R-Wis., by a vote of 25 to 22.
113th Congress
No contested races
114th Congress
No contested races
(Editor’s note: A previous version of this post incorrectly listed the leadership contest between Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., in the 110th Congress under RPC. Alexander and Burr were running for Conference Chair.)