Longtime United States Senator Mitch McConnell celebrated his 83rd birthday Thursday—and announced that he will not seek re-election to the office he has held since 1984.
Senator McConnell has long been considered one of the most influential people in politics from Kentucky, serving as the leader of the GOP in the Senate from 2007 until 2024. He made the announcement on the Senate Floor Thursday morning, saying it’s been an honor to serve his nation and the people of Kentucky—but it’s not an honor he will not seek for an 8th term.Â
McConnell says there’s too many people to recognize for the role they played both in his professional and personal life, but he knows that without the love of his mother, he may not have survived polio and without the guidance of his father and others, he might have never been involved with politics in Kentucky.
The senator who has been the longest serving party leader in history says he has never lost sight of the fact that the Senate has a solemn duty to uphold the rule of law. Those who don’t, he says, set up not just the Senate for failure, but the nation as a whole.
Senator McConnell has had some health issues in recent months, including a recent fall in Washington D.C. and had already stepped down from his role as the GOP leader.
There have already been several individuals you have expressed interest in running for McConnell’s seat if he were to not seek reelection, including Representative Andy Barr, but only time will tell who all files to seek that office.