(The Center Square) – Republican Senator from Kentucky and long-time Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that he won’t seek reelection when his current term ends in 2026.
The news closes his career as the longest-serving Senate party leader and longest-serving Kentucky senator in U.S. history.
The 83-year-old lawmaker, first elected to office in 1984, said he made the decision to retire last year.
“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between, I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business right here,” McConnell told lawmakers on the Senate floor. “Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
McConnell was elected Senate Minority Leader in 2006 and Majority Leader in 2014. He stepped down from that position after the 2024 November election and was replaced by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
McConnell was known for using the filibuster to obstruct certain legislation or judicial appointees during the Obama administration. During the first Donald Trump administration, McConnell was instrumental in passing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as ensuring the confirmation of current Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
McConnell backed Trump during both his impeachment trials but condemned the president as morally responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the capital, a position that strained their relationship.
The former Senate leader also compromised to work with Democrats on many issues, such as advancing a gun control bill and a bipartisan $1.7 trillion omnibus bill in 2022, and guiding the passage of a debt limit deal in 2023.
McConnell raised concerns in recent years after twice appearing to freeze during news conferences. He also suffered a fall earlier in the month and has taken to mainly using a wheelchair since then.
“I appreciate Senator McConnell’s dedication and commitment to serving Kentuckians over the years and wish him the best,” fellow Republican senator from Kentucky Rand Paul posted on X Thursday afternoon.
