Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, bringing an end to his decades-long career as a key power broker in the Senate. While he championed conservative causes, McConnell ultimately saw his influence challenged by the rise of Trump-era GOP populism. Marking his 83rd birthday, McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader, informed The Associated Press of his decision before delivering a farewell address to colleagues on the Senate floor. His departure signals the final chapter of a storied career, where he shaped a conservative Supreme Court, navigated tax cuts, impeachment trials and some of the most contentious political battles in modern history.
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision not to run for another term in Kentucky and to retire when his current term ends. He informed The Associated Press of his decision before he was set to address colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor. His announcement begins the epilogue of a storied career as a master strategist, one in which he helped forge a conservative Supreme Court and steered the Senate through tax cuts, presidential impeachment trials and fierce political fights.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), the longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, announced on Thursday he will not be seeking reelection in 2026. McConnell intends to serve the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027. The former Senate minority leader announced the news on his 83rd birthday. “Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said in prepared remarks provided to the Associated Press. “Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. 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.”
