McConnell, longtime Senate GOP leader, announces he will not run for reelection in 2026

CNN
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Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will not run for reelection in 2026, he announced in a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday morning.

The announcement marks a major moment in Republican politics. The Kentucky senator, who turned 83 on Thursday, has been a major figure in the party and is the longest serving Senate leader, despite facing health issues in recent years. At times, McConnell has clashed with President Donald Trump and the Kentucky Republican has pushed back against the isolationist strain within the current Republican Party. McConnell has been a staunch supporter of aid for Ukraine and has voted against confirming more of Trump’s nominees than any other Republican.

McConnell said in his speech that he still has “unfinished business to attend to,” arguing that the Senate must fight for national security priorities and greater resources for defense.

“Thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening America’s hard power was well underway when I arrived in the Senate, but since then, we’ve allowed that power to atrophy, and today, a dangerous world threatens to outpace the work of rebuilding it,” warned McConnell. “So lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term, I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

McConnell said that when his term ends, he will leave the Senate “with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution. There are any number of reasons for pessimism, but the strength of the Senate is not one of them.”

McConnell thanked his constituents and spoke about the support he received from his family over the years, including his mother’s determination to make sure he received treatment for polio as a child.

“Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between, I’ve been humbled by the trust they place 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,” he said.

The former leader thanked his wife, former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, and called her his “ultimate teammate and confidant of the last 32 years.”

Following his speech, McConnell received a standing ovation from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

McConnell, whose fight against polio as a child left him with a weak left leg, has faced several notable health incidents in the last several years. In 2019, he fractured his shoulder after he fell while at home in Kentucky, and in 2023 he was hospitalized with a concussion after another fall, which led to a stint at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for physical therapy.

His most public health episode occurred several months later, in July 2023, when he appeared to freeze while speaking at a news conference at the Capitol. He only stepped away from the podium for a few minutes before returning and insisting he was “fine,” and at the time an aide said the senator had “felt light headed.” However, about a month later, he experienced a similar looking episode while speaking with press in Kentucky.

Since these events, McConnell has fallen several other times at the Capitol: once in December 2024, leading to a sprained wrist and a cut on his face, and twice in one day earlier this month. After his most recent falls, McConnell has maneuvered through the Capitol in a wheelchair, with a boot on his leg.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who succeeded McConnell in the role of Senate GOP leader this year, released a statement praising McConnell and thanking him for his work in the Senate.

“Senator McConnell’s legacy is one of remarkable service to the Senate, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and our nation,” said Thune. “Over decades of tireless work, his mastery of Senate procedure, commitment to the institution, and dedication to the rule of law have shaped the course of American governance for generations to come.”

This story has been updated with additional details.