Mitch McConnell announced on Wednesday that he will step down as the Senate Republican leader in November, ending his tenure as the longest-serving Senate leader in history.
“This will be my last term as Republican Leader of the Senate,” the 82-year-old veteran of the chamber said to his colleagues on the Senate floor. “I’m not going anywhere… It’s time for the next generation of leadership.”
McConnell — who will serve out the remainder of his current Senate term, which ends in 2027 — leaves behind a formidable and expansive legacy as the steward of the Senate GOP. In 2016, he rallied the Republican caucus and the then-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley to prevent Barack Obama from installing abortion-advocate Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court. Such an effort made possible the appointment of Justice Gorsuch and the eventual reversal of Roe v. Wade. Amid the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation circus, McConnell unified his party, and Republicans again retained their majority for two more critical years.
In his speech Wednesday, McConnell was transparent about the GOP factions he’s had to corral and confront in recent years, focusing in particular on recent intra-party foreign-policy disputes.
“I’m unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world,” he said. “It’s why I worked so hard to get the national security package passed earlier this month. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time.”
Pressure had been mounting on McConnell to retire from the role after he froze up during two press conferences over the course of two months in 2023. His staff claimed he was suffering from bouts of lightheadedness, and a public note from his doctor suggested the same.
In August 2023, the Kentucky lawmaker abruptly paused for 30 seconds while speaking at an event. An aide walked up to McConnell and asked, “Did you hear the question?” When the senate minority leader failed to respond, the aide said, “We’re going to need a minute.”
McConnell also was escorted away from the press podium on Capitol Hill in July 2023 after he suddenly froze for a prolonged period. He stopped speaking mid-sentence and stared into space for about 30 seconds, leading other senators to step in and check on him. In March 2023, McConnell fell at an event in Washington, D.C., leaving him with head trauma that required hospitalization. He received treatment for a concussion and was discharged five days later.
McConnell’s health has been part of the larger conversation lawmakers have had about the need for a new generation of leadership, amid concerns about the health and mental fitness of lawmakers in their 80s and 90s.