Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he would not seek reelection next year.
“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said, as reported by the Associated Press. “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. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
McConnell was first elected in 1984.
The announcement comes as the senator has had several health scares in recent years. McConnell suffered a fall in December. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), a physician, assured reporters at the time that McConnell was “okay.”
In March 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall at a Washington-area hotel, where he suffered a concussion and required extended treatment.
The most notable moment came during a July 2023 press conference, when McConnell appeared to freeze mid-sentence and was escorted away by his staff. The incident raised widespread questions about his health and ability to continue in his leadership role.
In February of last year, McConnell announced that he was stepping down as Senate Republican leader.
“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” McConnell said at the time.“So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”
Kentucky’s former Republican candidate for governor, David Cameron, announced that he plans to run for McConnell’s seat.
“Kentucky, it’s time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate,” he wrote on X. “Let’s do this.”
