Rick Scott knocked out of Senate leader race on first ballot as Thune and Cornyn advance

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., was knocked out of the Senate leader race after the first secret ballot on Wednesday morning, during which none of the three candidates received a majority of the votes.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune was ultimately elected as the new Republican Senate leader and the majority leader of the upper chamber in the new Congress after winning a second secret ballot.

Sources told Fox News that Scott received the least number of votes during the first ballot. The senators advanced to a second secret ballot between only Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Thune received the most votes on the first ballot with 23, but fell short of a majority, needing four more. Cornyn posted 15 votes, despite having only one public endorsement beforehand. Scott received 13 votes in the ballot before being knocked out of the race.

The new Senate GOP leader was chosen on Wednesday. (Reuters)

A candidate must receive 27 votes, a majority of the 53-member conference, in order to win.

Thune received 29 votes and Cornyn got 24 on the second ballot, according to Thune’s office, making Thune the new Senate majority leader in the next Congress.