Staff report

In an announcement on the Senate floor on his 83rd birthday, Senator Mitch McConnell, the longest serving Senate leader in U.S. history, said he would not be seeking reelection for an eighth term at the end of his current term in 2026.

He relinquished his leadership position last November and speculation about his health has persisted in the wake of apparent “freezes” and multiple falls.

He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, after serving as Jefferson County Judge-Executive. The Republican Party has named its new state headquarters in Frankfort for McConnell.

Chairman of the state Republican Party, Robert Benvenuti, expressed in a statement the “deepest gratitude to Sen. Mitch McConnell for his extraordinary and steadfast service to our state and nation. . .His principled, conservative leadership has shaped policies that have strengthened both our state and our country.”

McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, credited his “mother’s devoted care” for an outcome that “could have turned out a lot worse.”

His speech was filled with gratitude to family, friends, colleagues, associates and all Kentuckians for enabling him to serve.

“I learned quickly that delivering for Kentucky meant finding the ways the Commonwealth’s challenges were tied to national debates: Seeing to it that major agriculture legislation remembered Kentucky farmers, including when they needed extraordinary assistance, like the tobacco buyout…Making sure that nationwide steps on transportation infrastructure included resources for modernizing the Brent Spence Bridge, which supports billions of dollars in economic activity in Kentucky and the surrounding region every day…And, with the trust of the local community, finishing a task first assigned by President Reagan: the safe destruction of America’s legacy chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot. Efforts like these have spanned the length of my Senate career. And I’ve been humbled by each and every opportunity to help Kentucky punch above its weight.”

He ended his comments with:

“There are any number of reasons for pessimism. But the strength of the Senate is not one of them. This chamber is still the haven where the political minority can require a debate. It is still the crucible in which jurists are tested for their fidelity to upholding the Constitution and laws as they were written. The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence…And, to the disappointment of my critics, I’m still here on the job.”

He said he expects to finish out his term, “humbled by the trust” of Kentuckians and grateful for the honor of a lifetime.
 

“Senator Mitch McConnell has earned his place as the most consequential Kentuckian to serve in the United States Senate since Henry Clay. His mastery of the world’s most deliberative body is matched only by his unwavering commitment to the people of Kentucky,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.

“From the Mountains in the East to the River Counties in the West and everywhere between, the impact of Senator McConnell’s leadership will continue to play out for generations. He has fought for farmers and factory workers, miners and medical researchers, service members and small business owners. And time and again, he has won.”

House Speaker David Osborne issued the following statement:
 
“Today’s announcement signals the conclusion of one of the most consequential careers in modern American history. For more than four decades, Leader McConnell has been a dominant force in shaping judicial appointments, tax policy, and legislative strategy. While his tenure is historic in its length, it is even more meaningful in what he has accomplished for both our Commonwealth and nation. As a direct result of his leadership, Kentucky has seen record investments in infrastructure, strengthened our position in national defense, and benefited from countless programs aimed at improving health, education, and overall quality of life.”

Prominent Republicans wasted no time in making known their interest in McConnell’s succession. Candidates cannot officially file for the election until Nov. 5.

Minutes after McConnell’s announcement, former state attorney general Daniel Cameron said he would run to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate in 2026. Cameron once served as McConnell’s legal counsel ad was the state’s first Black attorney General. He ran a failed campaign against Andy Beshear for governor in 2023.

Lexington’s Andy Barr, who currently serves in the U.S. House, has expressed an interest in McConnell’s seat and sent out the following statement:

“When President Trump and Andy Barr teamed up in his 2018 election, they won Kentucky’s toughest Congressional race against Amy McGrath and the Trump resistance. When President Trump endorsed Daniel Cameron for Governor, Daniel embarrassed the President and our party by losing in a state that President Trump won by over 30 points — including losing Andy Barr’s district by 19 points. We need proven winners, not folks who can’t win even with the support of the greatest President we’ve ever seen.”

He also praised McConnell’s service record: “Senator McConnell reshaped the federal judiciary, including the United States Supreme Court, to preserve the original meaning of our Constitution.” He also said, “Kentucky deserves a Senator who will fight for President Trump and the America First Agenda,” and that’s why he is considering a run for the Senate seat.

McConnell’s verbatim remarks on the Senate floor

“I’ve never liked calling too much attention to today’s date, February 20th. But I figured my birthday would be as good a day as any to share with our colleagues a decision I made last year about how I’ll approach the 119th Congress.

“During my time in the Senate, I’ve only really answered to two constituencies – the Republican conference and the people of Kentucky.

“Over the years, that first group trusted me to coordinate campaigns, to count votes, to steer committees, to take the majority, and on nine occasions, to lead our conference. Serving as Republican Leader was a rare – and, yes, rather specific – childhood dream. And just about a year ago, I thanked my colleagues for their confidence, which allowed me to fulfill it. To the distinguished members of this body I’ve had the privilege to lead, I remain deeply grateful.

“Today, however, it’s appropriate for me to speak about an even deeper allegiance and an even longer-standing gratitude. Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business 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.

“I’ve been a student of history my entire life. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a stack of biographies or political memoirs on my nightstand. And I know well how tempting it can be to read history with a sense of determinism: Assuming that, somehow, notorious failures were inevitable…That crowning triumphs were predestined…And in either case, that lives and careers followed orderly paths. This, of course, isn’t how things work. And I’ve never had to look further than my own life to recognize it.

“I’ve never lost sight of the fact that, without my mother’s devoted care, a childhood encounter with polio could have turned out a lot worse…That, unless my father had taken a job in the Bluegrass state, my interest in politics might have run its course somewhere else entirely…That, if it weren’t for an eleventh-hour, outside-the-box idea on the campaign trail, my Senate career might’ve been over before it began…Or that, if not for the people of Kentucky time and again agreeing that leadership delivers and electing to send me back here, it would have been someone else from somewhere else taking that seat at the table where I’ve had the chance to work…and strategize…and fight…and win.

“I grew up reading about the greatness of Henry Clay. But there were times when the prospect of etching my name into his desk in this chamber felt like more of a long-shot than making it in the Major Leagues.

“I got a front-row seat to the greatness of Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky as a summer intern in his office. But at so many moments in my early career, the idea of following in his footsteps here felt more distant than the moon.

“So the only appropriate thing to take away today, apart from a healthy dose of pride, is my immense gratitude – for the opportunity to take part in the consequential business of the Senate and the nation.

“Gratitude to the people I represent: Kentucky’s families and farmers and miners and service members and small business owners. Gratitude to loyal friends, dedicated volunteers, and talented staff who have helped me serve them better. Gratitude to this institution that has repaid my devotion so generously over the years, and to so many colleagues who have become dear friends.

“Gratitude to my family for their support…And particularly to my ultimate teammate and confidante for the past 32 years: Elaine’s leadership and wise counsel, in their own right, have made her the most seasoned Cabinet official in modern history. On top of all that, her devotion to me – and to Kentucky – is much more than I deserve.

“When I arrived in this chamber, I wasn’t coming with a Governor’s statewide executive experience or a House member’s appreciation for Washington dynamics. I knew my hometown of Louisville, and I had spent the previous few years working hard to learn what mattered to folks across the rest of the Commonwealth. And yet, within weeks of swearing the oath, I was here on this floor talking with colleagues from other far-flung corners of the country, discussing solutions to a farm income crisis and infrastructure challenges that affected our different states in similar ways.

“I learned quickly that delivering for Kentucky meant finding the ways the Commonwealth’s challenges were tied to national debates: Seeing to it that major agriculture legislation remembered Kentucky farmers, including when they needed extraordinary assistance, like the tobacco buyout…Making sure that nationwide steps on transportation infrastructure included resources for modernizing the Brent Spence Bridge, which supports billions of dollars in economic activity in Kentucky and the surrounding region every day…And, with the trust of the local community, finishing a task first assigned by President Reagan: the safe destruction of America’s legacy chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot. Efforts like these have spanned the length of my Senate career. And I’ve been humbled by each and every opportunity to help Kentucky punch above its weight.

“Of course, the Senate has to grapple with foundational questions that reach even more broadly across American life…and even further into posterity. We’re trusted, on behalf of the American people, to participate in the appointment of the federal judiciary…To be the final check on the assembly of power in courts, beyond the reach of representative politics…And to ensure that the men and women who preside over them profess authentic devotion to the rule of law above all else.

“When members of this body ignore, discount, or pervert this fundamental duty, they do so not just at the peril of the Senate, but the entire nation. The weight of our power to advise and consent has never been lost on me. And I’ve been honored to perform my role in confirming judges who understand theirs.

“On this floor, there is no place to hide from the obligations of Article One…The Senate’s unique relationship with Article Three…Or our role in equipping the powers of Article Two.

“Here, every debate over agriculture or infrastructure or education or taxes is downstream of the obligations of national security. Every question of policy here at home is contingent on our duty to provide for the common defense.

“One of the first times I spoke at length on this floor as a freshman, I was compelled to join the debate over strengthening the deterrence of America’s nuclear triad. Whether to expand the U.S. military’s hard-target nuclear capability was an interesting question to pose to someone whose most recent job had been running a county government. But there, of course, was the founders’ brilliance at work: The hopes and dreams of every American are tied up in our ability to protect and defend the nation and its interests. Every family traveling abroad, and every worker and small business owner whose livelihood depends on foreign trade – they depend in turn on the credibility of America’s commitments to friends and the strength of her threats to enemies.

“In turn, the safety and success of the men and women who volunteer to serve this great nation in uniform depend on the work we do here to ensure that enemies think twice before challenging them…and never face a fair fight.

“Thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening American 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.

“So, lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term: I have some unfinished business to attend to.

“In our work, most of us in this body develop an appreciation for the Senate itself – its written rules, its collegial norms, even its pace of play. And yet so often, I’ve watched colleagues depart, venting their frustration at the confines of the institution…or mourning what they perceive to be the decline of its norms.

“Regardless of the political storms that may wash over this chamber during the time I have remaining, I assure our colleagues that I will depart 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. This chamber is still the haven where the political minority can require a debate. It is still the crucible in which jurists are tested for their fidelity to upholding the Constitution and laws as they were written. The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence…And, to the disappointment of my critics, I’m still here on the job.”