Mitch McConnell, the longest serving U.S. Senator in history, announced on his 83rd birthday which was on February 20, that he will not seek re-election for an eighth term in 2026. Instead, he will be stepping down from his role as the Republican Majority leader this November, ending a 40-year career in the U.S. legislature.
McConnell, who is currently in his seventh term, is also the longest Senator to ever represent Kentucky in history. He has held that senate seat since he first won it in 1985.
As the longest serving Senator, the octogenarian would later gain notoriety as the ‘longest face of opposition’ in the Senate, particularly among Democrats. However, towards the end, or rather, at the twilight of both his life and career, it would appear, his opposition wasn’t just reserved for Democrats but towards his own party as well.
Hence, when he announced he was calling it quits, it came as no surprise to many, considering how the state of his health and cognitive ability have become the focus of both query and attention.
When he was making the announcement on the Senate floor, McConnell stated unequivocally that his “current term” would be his “last.”
However, by not stepping down immediately, McConnell ensured that he has the opportunity to influence the process of selecting his successor, particularly with the MAGA wing of the Republican party growing.
To those who know McConnell, such a move does not come as a surprise when one considers the way the Kentucky Senator has become a prominent vocal critic of President Trump who has gone as far as voting against his major nominees.
Once revered as a skilled politician on both sides of the aisle, the octogenarian leaves the Senate as a rather diminished figure, an old guard and party stalwart who had become so out-of-sync with the new, younger and more vibrant version of the GOP – the MAGA Republicans.
McConnell’s departure also signifies the end of the old Republican party as it once was. After all, he was the face of the old establishment that no longer exists, a hardcore swamp creature who, at the end of his career, became a very polarizing figure.
For instance, he became the most vocal critic of his own party’s leadership, President Donald Trump, particularly after the Jan 6 incident. What began at the end of Trump’s first term would eventually bleed into his second term. His criticisms of Trump never stopped but only intensified.
This became more evident in the confirmation process of President Trump’s nominees for Cabinet members in his second term. McConnell became the sole Republican Senator who voted against Trump’s appointments the most.
For instance, he voted against Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for Health and Human Services Secretary.
Mitch McConnell’s departure announcement comes at a time when question about his health and fitness to continue in his position as Senate Majority, were growing. More than once, he seemed to freeze and was unable to speak during two different press conferences last year. He also appeared bewildered and lost.
The first incident occurred on July 26 during a Press Conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC. He paused mid-sentence for aprox 20 secs before he was ushered away by his Republican colleagues. The other was on August 31 in Covington, Kentucky, when he suddenly paused for more than 30 secs before his aides came to his aide.
Again, last March, the octogenarian fell during a dinner event at a DC hotel and was later hospitalized for five days. According to his office at the time, the Senator received treatment for a concussion and spent a week in rehab to address a “minor rib fracture.”
With the announcement, different interested parties are already jockeying to be his replacement, starting from his home state of Kentucky all the way into the halls of The Capitol, within the GOP Senate.
McConnell has served the GOP as its leader since 2007, a position he has retained ever since. An election to replace him as the Senate Majority Leader will be held in November, after which he will step down and his successor would assume his role effective January 2026.
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