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Sen. Majority Leader McConnell re-elected to another term as GOP leader

He won a new term by acclamation Wednesday.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been elected to another term as GOP leader.

He won a new term by acclamation Wednesday.

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The rest of the GOP line-up below the Kentucky Republican is expected to shuffle slightly. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the GOP whip, is being forced out by term limits. That allows Sen. John Thune of South Dakota to move up to the No. 2 spot. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri are expected to take over the third- and fourth-ranking spots.

RELATED: McConnell: Gun reform unlikely despite another mass shooting

Republicans are poised to elect their first woman to leadership in almost a decade. Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer is running for vice chair of the conference. She faces GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.

Following the vote, Majority Leader McConnell said:

“I am grateful to my colleagues for again placing their trust in me. As Majority Leader, I set the Senate’s schedule and agenda. Therefore, I have and will continue to consistently choose to prioritize legislation and nominations that will directly benefit the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I am proud of our incredible record of achievement. Working with President Trump, we have made the last two years the most productive in moving our country right-of-center since I came to Washington.

“We passed tax reform that put more money in the pockets of hard working Kentuckians and helped people get back to work. We stopped the War on Coal in its tracks. We passed landmark legislation to combat the opioid epidemic. We also began a transformation of the federal judiciary, ended Obamacare’s individual mandate, and provided relief to community financial institutions. After harmful Obama-era cuts to our military, we rebuilt our defense forces and delivered a well-earned pay raise for our servicemembers at Kentucky’s military installations and we delivered improved care to our veterans.

“When the new Congress begins next year, there is more work to be done. I will keep fighting for Kentucky in the Senate, and as Majority Leader, I look forward to many more accomplishments for our state.”

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