Cotton defeats Ernst for No. 3 spot in Senate GOP leadership

Senate Republicans have tapped Sen. Tom Cotton, an unwavering conservative, to be their Republican Conference chair, elevating a lawmaker known for his hawkish foreign policy positions and efforts to restrict immigration into a top-tier leadership role.

Cotton (R-Ark.), who is serving his second term after being elected in 2014, bested Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa.) for the No. 3 spot in the Senate GOP hierarchy. The vote was 35-18, according to a person familiar with the vote.

“One priority is to make sure each senator has the tools and the resources they need to communicate with their voters in their states,” Cotton told “The Hugh Hewitt Show” in March, speaking about how he saw the role. “It’s helping bridge the divides, finding those issues and approaches that unite us in Washington while also helping every senator make sure that they are reaching their voters where they are in their home states.”

On policy, Cotton has fiercely battled the Obama and Biden administrations on myriad issues. One of his first notable actions as a senator was leading a highly unusual letter to Iranian leaders warning them that any nuclear agreement inked with the Obama administration could be revoked by the next administration. More recently, he led a blanket slowdown of confirming lower-level Biden administration nominees like U.S. marshals and U.S. attorneys.

But he’s also been unafraid to spar with his fellow Republicans, criticizing GOP lawmakers who worked toward an immigration compromise proposal. He additionally bashed a Trump-era criminal justice reform effort, deriding it as a “jailbreak” proposal.

Stylistically, he’ll mark a departure from the current crop of Senate GOP leaders, who often gaggle at length with reporters in the hallways. Cotton’s go-to phrase is “no comment,” though he has made noticeably more appearances on national mainstream television programs in recent months.

Cotton, who’s up for reelection in his deep-red state in 2026, has reportedly taken himself out of consideration for roles in the incoming Trump administration, despite frequent speculation for various national security positions.