Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is seen in the U.S. Capitol after the senate voted against a advancing border security deal on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The GOA said that Sen. Cornyn's record on gun rights makes him "wholly unfit" to become the Senate minority leader.
"In the eyes of gun owners and all those who treasure our liberties, the traitor from Texas' record makes him wholly unfit to lead Republicans in the Senate," Johnston said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) arrives to a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Another conservative group, the National Association for Gun Rights, also came out against Cornyn's bid to replace McConnell.
"Cornyn is the most anti-gun Republican in Congress," said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. "His sponsorship of ‘Fix NICS’ and proud role in passing the largest gun control bill in decades (Biden’s so-called Bipartisan Safer Communities Act) is repulsive to law-abiding gun owners."
"When the most anti-gun President in history calls an anti-gun Republican ‘rational’ that should set off alarm bells in every law-abiding gun owners’ head," Brown added.
The gun groups' statements on Sen. Cornyn came after McConnell, 82, announced Wednesday that he plans to step away from leadership after becoming the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.
"I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell," said Cornyn, 72, in a statement released Thursday.
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In the developing pool of potential successors, Cornyn is frequently mentioned as one of the "three Johns" likely to next lead the conference. The other two are Sens. John Thune, R-S.D. and John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
Sen. Cornyn's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
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