Hill Climbers: The GOP’s New Ground

• By Kristin Coyner
• Roll Call Staff
• Oct. 19, 2009, Midnight

The Senate Republican Conference was a place of leadership shuffles this summer with the resignation of Sen. John Ensign (Nev.) as Policy Committee chairman. Several months out from the promotion of Sen. John Thune (S.D.) to Policy Committee chairman and the election of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) to vice chairwoman, a relative sense of youth hasn’t been the only game-changer in the Conference.