Former Republican leader Trent Lott no longer has an office in the Capitol, but the veteran deal-maker continues to have influence in the Senate.

The Mississippi Republican, who spent 35 years in public office, has evolved from a master vote-counter into a power broker on K Street who still acts as an adviser to his former colleagues.

Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, a veteran lawmaker in his own right, said he would probably would reach out to Lott about his plan to seek the No. 2 GOP leadership position next Congress.

“I haven’t,” the Tennessee Republican said, “but I probably will.”

Before Lott departed the Senate in late 2007, the one-time Majority Leader was well-known for the easy way that he made personal connections with his colleagues. But his ability to maintain those connections after he left Congress has set him apart in a business where individual contacts are the keys to power.