Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) was elected as the majority whip in the Senate Wednesday. It’s the second-highest position in the Senate. Earlier this year, he was considered for the top republican position but Barrasso opted to run for the second-highest spot instead. He has been the GOP conference chair and in charge of Republican messaging since 2018, which made him the third ranking Senate Republican.

He was uncontested for the majority whip post. Barrasso had previously said he had overwhelming support from his colleagues and he received the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump.

“The Senate Majority Whip plays a really crucial role in facilitating the legislative process and maintaining party discipline within the Senate,” said Ryan Williamson, University of Wyoming assistant professor of political science. “And so he's going to do a lot of counting votes, communicating the majority position, kind of trying to persuade senators to support the party's legislative agenda. So it's a job that involves a lot of negotiation and consultation.”

Williamson said the whip is the conduit between the party leader and members, making sure members are informed about upcoming votes and strategic decisions, “essentially trying to enforce party discipline.”

The job can be a difficult one, especially when the Senate majority is narrow, like it will be for the next two years. Williamson said because of that, the majority whip has to have strong relationships with all members of the Republican party and, at times, work across the aisle to get the necessary votes. The Senate currently has a 53 Republican majority.

Barrasso will step into the role in the new year and can serve in it up to six years. He has been a Wyoming Senator since 2007.