Key Trump ally may make a last-minute bid for Senate GOP leadership.

After the general election in November, more contenders may make last-minute bids for the role of Minority Leader, according to Senate Republicans.

The NRSC head, Steve Daines, R-Mont., has not ruled out the possibility of running for the top Senate GOP position.

Earlier in the year, after McConnell announced he would not seek another term as leader, former President Trump shared with allies that he wanted Daines to run for the position.

The Montana Republican's good relationship with the two encouraged Trump to want him to run for office, according to a source.

Three senators, including John Thune, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott, are competing to become the next leader of the Republican Party. Notably, Scott challenged McConnell, R-Ky., in 2022 with a last-minute campaign for the role, citing issues with how the conference was being run.

In July, Daines stated that his focus is on facilitating Republican Senate wins in the upcoming election, and he was asked by Planet Chronicle Digital whether he would run for leader at several points in 2024.

Daines stated that he believes there are excellent candidates to lead the Republicans and all three of them would do a great job, despite Planet Chronicle Digital noting that his response did not rule out the possibility of running.

According to NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg, Chairman Daines is determined to regain control of the Senate majority.

Daines' admiration from Trump could benefit him in the race, but his position as NRSC chair could make his chances of winning dependent on the November election results.

For him to have a chance, Senate Republicans must achieve significant victories on election night, according to a Senate GOP aide.

Daines is currently overseeing several key Senate races in states such as Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona, where Republicans are hoping to defeat vulnerable incumbent Democrats.

The aide expressed confidence that Daines would join the fray after the election if the GOP performs well.

Despite Trump's interest in seeing Daines run, Thune and Trump have been nurturing a strong relationship over the past year.

The Senate minority whip, Sen. John Thune, has been in open communication with former President Donald Trump, according to a source familiar with the matter. This source also revealed that Thune recently headlined a fundraiser in Nebraska with Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

During the Republican primary race, all the current leader contenders publicly supported Trump.

Both Thune and Cornyn have been successful in raising funds for Republican candidates and conservative groups, making them valuable assets in the leader fight, given McConnell's reputation as a GOP fundraising powerhouse.

In July, Scott traveled to Chicago to support the Trump campaign by counterprogramming the Democratic National Convention.

Among the three announced candidates, Scott has been the most vocal about the policy and style changes he wants to see at the conference. This was also the driving force behind his challenge to McConnell in 2022. His candidacy could be particularly attractive to GOP senators who are similarly frustrated with the conference's functioning under McConnell, some of whom have been vocal about their grievances.

Although the DSCC is intensely campaigning against Scott's re-election in Florida, Republicans are still predicted to retain his Senate seat, posing a challenge for Scott to secure the leadership role.

Other than Daines, conference members and staff believe that other senators could still enter the race.

Since spring, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has been forecasting more candidates in the leadership race.

"In July, he informed reporters that someone would soon jump in and it was highly likely to happen."

He stated, "That's how it went down last time," referring to Scott's 2022 campaign against McConnell prior to the Republican leader election.

In July, Roger Marshall, R-Kan., stated that he believed everyone was competitive and that it wouldn't be surprising if someone else joined in.

In March, Hawley expressed hope that Cotton might run for the position he is currently running for, GOP conference chair, because of his support for a bill to help radiation victims in Missouri. Praising him at the time, Hawley said, "Maybe Tom ought to run for the leader."

A spokesperson for Cotton declined to provide comment to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Another Republican to watch, according to the Senate GOP aide, is Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has made strong statements to his fellow Republicans during private meetings about the direction of the conference and its leadership.

"Senator Tillis believes there are several strong candidates to become the next Senate majority leader, and his office supports the idea that the conference will be in good hands when one of them takes over in January," said spokesperson Adam Webb.

Senators have mostly refrained from supporting any current presidential candidates, except for Mike Rounds and Markwayne Mullin, who endorsed Thune early on.