Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has announced that he will not seek re-election next year, ending his decades-long career as a power broker. He was once a champion of conservative causes but ultimately yielded to the radical Republican populism represented by President Donald Trump.
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02-23, 2025As the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history, McConnell chose to announce on his 83rd birthday that he would not run for another term representing Kentucky and would retire at the end of his current term. He informed the Associated Press of his decision before addressing the Senate on Thursday (Friday AEDT).
His announcement marks the end of a brilliant career, one in which he was a strategic mastermind who helped shape a conservative Supreme Court and led the Senate through tax cuts, presidential impeachment trials, and fierce political battles.
“The people of Kentucky have sent me to the Senate seven times,” McConnell said in prepared remarks provided to the Associated Press in advance. “For every one of those days, I have been honored by their trust in me to handle the affairs of our commonwealth here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of my life.” He added: “I will not be running for re-election for an eighth term. My time as a servant in the Senate will come to an end.”
McConnell, who was first elected in 1984, plans to complete his remaining term, which ends in January 2027. In recent years, the Kentucky native has experienced a series of health issues, including injuries from falls and instances of brief facial stiffness while speaking.
His significant announcement comes nearly a year after he decided to relinquish his leadership position after the November 2024 elections. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, McConnell's senior deputy, is in line to succeed him as majority leader.
McConnell's impending departure reflects the evolving dynamics of the Republican Party under Trump's leadership. His power has gradually waned amid health concerns and a deteriorating relationship with Trump, who once lauded him as an ally but later began criticizing him with scathing rhetoric.
In Kentucky, McConnell's departure will mark the exit of a powerful advocate and will trigger a competitive Republican primary next year for the now-vacant Senate seat. Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, considered a rising star in the Democratic Party for winning statewide elections in Republican territory, has stated he has no interest in the Senate, though he is widely considered a contender for higher office.
A staunch believer in the traditional conservatism and hawkish foreign policy of Ronald Reagan, McConnell increasingly found himself at odds with a Republican Party shifting towards the impassioned and often isolationist populism championed by Trump.
McConnell has remained a supporter of providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine to defend against Russia's invasion, even as Trump has ramped up his criticism of the country and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The senator planned to make clear on Thursday that defense remains a top priority on his agenda.
“Thanks to Ronald Reagan’s resolve, by the time I got to the Senate, the work of rebuilding American hard power was well underway,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “But we have since allowed that strength to erode. And today, a dangerous world is shouting for us to rebuild it again.” He added: “So, to remove any lingering doubt about my plans between now and when I leave the Senate: I still have some unfinished business to properly address.”
McConnell and Trump were partners during Trump's first term, but the relationship fractured after McConnell blamed Trump for the "disgraceful" actions of his supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. A brief reconciliation occurred when McConnell endorsed Trump in 2024, but it did not last.
Last week, Trump called McConnell a "very nasty guy" after McConnell opposed the confirmation of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nation's top health official. McConnell suffered from polio as a child.
Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief for the Associated Press, referred to Trump as a "mean guy" and a "narcissist" in his biography of McConnell.
