Mitch McConnell has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026, marking the end of a four-decade tenure in the US Senate. The 83-year-old Kentucky senator, who stepped down as Republican leader earlier this year, made the announcement in a speech on the Senate floor.
“My current term in the Senate will be my last,” McConnell said, adding that he had “unfinished business” to attend to before his retirement. He encouraged his colleagues to uphold the constitutional authority of Congress at a time when Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner for the presidency, has sought to expand executive power.
McConnell has had a complex relationship with Trump, backing much of his legislative agenda during his first term but increasingly opposing him in recent years. He has rejected several of Trump’s key nominations, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr for health secretary.
“The weight of our power to advise and consent has never been lost on me,” McConnell said, emphasizing the Senate’s role in confirming officials devoted to the rule of law.
The chamber gave McConnell a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech.
A powerful strategist
McConnell built a reputation as a skilled tactician, using Senate procedures to achieve significant political victories, even when Republicans were in the minority. He is perhaps best known for blocking President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee in 2016, a move that allowed Trump to fill the seat instead. This shift in the court’s ideological balance ultimately led to the overturning of national abortion rights and an expansion of presidential authority.
He also played a key role in reshaping the federal judiciary, confirming hundreds of conservative judges during Trump’s term.
However, McConnell’s stance on Trump hardened after the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol. While he blamed Trump for inciting the riot, he did not vote to convict him in the subsequent impeachment trial.
McConnell has also diverged from Trump’s isolationist stance on foreign policy, emerging as a strong advocate for US support of Ukraine. His position has placed him at odds with many in his party, including Trump and his supporters.
Health and personal losses
McConnell’s decision to retire follows several public health episodes, including two incidents in which he froze while speaking at press conferences. His speech referenced the recent death of his wife Elaine Chao’s younger sister, Angela, as a moment of reflection.
“When you lose a loved one, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process,” he said.
McConnell, who first joined the Senate in 1985, has held the position of Republican leader since 2007, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history. While stepping down from leadership in November, he plans to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027.
“I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm to which they’ve become accustomed,” he said.
His departure leaves an open contest for Senate Republican leadership, with John Cornyn, John Thune, and John Barrasso among the leading contenders.
