Sen. John Cornyn declares candidacy for minority leader after McConnell steps down

GOP won’t tap McConnell's successor until November

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announcing he will step aside from GOP Senate leadership in November on 'Special Report.'

Texas Senator John Cornyn has officially entered the race to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

McConnell, 82, announced Wednesday that he plans to step away from leadership after becoming the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. Cornyn is one of McConnell's top lieutenants in the GOP conference. 

"I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell," Cornyn said in a statement. 

"I believe the Senate is broken -- that is not news to anyone. The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it," he said. 

This is a developing story and will be updated. Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.

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