Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, is throwing in the towel and will not run for re-election next year.
The 83-year-old from Kentucky announced the news Thursday on the Senate floor, coinciding with the one-month anniversary of President Donald Trump taking office and his birthday.
“Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime,” McConnell said during his speech. “I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
McConnell has held his seat in the Senate since 1985, four decades ago. Just months ago, he gave up his post as Senate Republican leader after the 2024 election.
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a close ally to McConnell who also ran for governor, announced his run for the spot moments after the speech. Rep. Andy Barr is also a top contender for his seat.
McConnell’s retirement comes as his health has been called into question. He has suffered several recent health challenges, including falling twice in the Capitol. The senator had polio as a child, with sources close to the Republican noting he has long had balance issues as a result of the illness.
His departure also comes as he’s been at odds with the current administration.
McConnell has long had a contentious relationship with Trump, with the president repeatedly taking aim at him during and following his tenure as leader.
Most recently, the Kentucky Republican has drawn Trump’s ire for voting against multiple cabinet nominees, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard.
McConnell, however, has been revered by his colleagues as one of the most effective politicians in modern history.
The senator has been one of the main architects behind the current conservative Supreme Court, blocking a hearing for President Barack Obama’s pick Merrick Garland in 2016, by saying the spot should be filled by the next president. McConnell then later pushed Amy Coney Barrett to confirmation after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020.
“The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence, and to the disappointment of my critics, I’m still here on the job,” he said at the conclusion of his speech.
