Tim Scott takes over as NRSC chair for 2026 cycle

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will take over as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and helm the campaign efforts for the 2026 cycle.

Scott won the chair position Wednesday and ran uncontested for it. He replaces Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who steered the party to a potential 53-seat majority and four flipped seats during the 2024 cycle.

"I am honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me to protect and grow our Republican majority," Scott said. "With President Trump in the White House and Republican leadership in Congress, help is on the way for the American people. Donald J. Trump proved that when we fight everywhere with the TRUTH, we win. That is why we must secure a Republican Senate for all four years of the Trump administration, and that work starts today!"

The former presidential candidate also won the support of multiple key Senate Republicans, including Daines, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who could be tapped in short order to become secretary of State.

Scott, the incoming chair of the Senate Banking Committee, was a presence on the campaign trail for Senate GOP candidates in the final weeks, having made trips to a handful of battleground states.

A Scott super PAC also spent seven figures in a number of those states.

Scott began mulling a run in mid-October after a number of Senate Republicans — including Sens. Eric Schmitt (Mo.) and Katie Britt (Ala.) — publicly spurned runs to helm the committee. The job is viewed as a thankless job that involves endless hours on the road and working with donors.

The 2026 cycle could be a difficult one for Republicans, especially given the history of midterm cycles for the party in power. There are only a couple of pickup opportunities in Democratic seats, headlined by Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D) in Georgia.

Two of the biggest races will be for seats occupied by GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Thom Tillis (N.C.). Of the 34 seats on the map, 21 are held by Republicans — including the Ohio special election to fill the remainder of Vice President-elect Vance’s term.