Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced his retirement on Thursday, marking the end of a career for one of the Senate‘s most consequential Republican leaders.
McConnell, first elected to the upper chamber in 1984, delivered the announcement in remarks from the Senate floor, reflecting on the path that led him to represent Kentucky for four decades.
He is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, helping cement a conservative majority on the Supreme Court and steer Washington toward greater engagement on the world stage.
“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said in his remarks. “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.”
The Associated Press reported the retirement ahead of McConnell’s speech, delivered on his 83rd birthday.
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