As my colleague Bob Hoge announced, former Sen. Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is going gently into that good night. On the day of his 83rd birthday, Addison Mitchell McConnell took to the floor of the body where he has served as its longest-running leader to announce he will not seek reelection. A 40-year-long, four decade, eight-term Senate career will officially sunset in January of 2026.
Journalist Mike Coté wrote an homage of sorts to McConnell in 2024, when McConnell made the announcement that he would be stepping down from Senate leadership:
Mitch McConnell is undoubtedly the elder statesman of the Republican Party, serving in the Senate since the 1980s. He has led the Republican Senate caucus since 2007 and is the longest-serving congressional party leader in American history. Unlike our current president, McConnell (82-years-old as of writing) is…
