Mitch McConnell to step down as Republican Senate leader in November

During a speech on the U.S. Senate floor on Wednesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he will step down as the Republican Senate Leader in November.

BREAKING: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announces he will step down as Republican leader in November:

“It’s time for me to think about another season … After all this time, I still get a thrill walking into the Capitol … But Father Time remains undefeated.” pic.twitter.com/wFS8HgYrpQ

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) February 28, 2024

McConnell has served as a U.S. senator for Kentucky since 1985 and as the Republican Senate leader since 2007. Although he will no longer serve as leader, McConnell plans to serve the rest of his Senate term, which expires in 2026. The 82-year-old is the longest serving Republican Senate leader in U.S. history.

Over the past eight months, McConnell’s health has been a major subject of debate. He froze up twice during press conferences during the span of a month and a half, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said last week that he “had an injury last year that he hadn’t been the same ever since.”

During his time in the position, McConnell oversaw staunch opposition to campaign finance restrictions, and he listed the manipulation of the Senate filibuster to block former President Barrack Obama’s Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland as his greatest accomplishment.