Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Thursday that he will not run for re-election in 2018. This ends a long tenure as an influential figure who supported conservative causes but eventually ceded the field to President Donald Trump’s fierce GOP populism.
McConnell chose to announce his decision to not run for another term as Kentucky’s Senate leader and to retire at the end of his current term on his 83rd birthdate. He told The Associated Press about his decision just before he addressed colleagues on the Senate Floor.
His announcement marks the end of a long and successful career as a strategist. He helped create a conservative Supreme Court and guided the Senate through tax reductions, impeachment proceedings, and intense political battles.
McConnell, in prepared remarks that were provided to the AP in advance, said: “Seven Times my fellow Kentuckians sent me to Senate. I’ve been humbled every day by the trust that they have placed in me. The honor of a lifetime was to represent our Commonwealth. This honor will not be sought an eighth time. My current Senate term will be my final.”
McConnell was first elected in 1984 and intends to complete his term until January 2027. In recent years, the Kentuckians had to deal with several medical issues. He has suffered from injuries sustained in falls as well as times when his facial muscles briefly froze up while he spoke.
The senator will deliver his speech at a chamber McConnell admired as a young lawmaker long before he joined its back benches in the mid-1980s as a new legislator. The dramatic announcement follows almost a full year after McConnell decided to step down from his leadership position after the November 2020 election. John Thune (R-S.D.), a McConnell delegate, was appointed as McConnell’s successor.
McConnell’s imminent departure reflects the shifting dynamics of Trump’s GOP. His power has been eroding in parallel with his declining health and relationship with Trump.
McConnell’s resignation in Kentucky will be a loss for a powerful advocate, and it will also set off a fierce GOP primary competition next year to fill the now vacant Senate seat. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has denied any interest in running for the Senate despite being widely considered a rising star within his party.
McConnell was a staunch supporter of Ronald Reagan’s brand, which emphasized traditional conservatism, and a muscular foreign policy. However, McConnell found himself increasingly out of touch with the changing GOP.
McConnell continues to advocate for providing Ukraine with weapons, aid, and other assistance to repel Russia’s invasion. This is despite Trump criticizing the country and its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The senator will make it clear on Thursday that his priority is national defense.
McConnell’s prepared remarks stated that “thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the strengthening of American hard power had already begun when I arrived at the Senate,” McConnell said. Since then, however, we have allowed this power to atrophy. Today, the pace of reconstruction in a dangerous environment is outpacing that of the world. “Let me make it clear to my colleagues that I still have unfinished business for the rest of my term.
McConnell was Trump’s partner during his first term. However, the relationship ended when McConnell accused Trump of incidents that occurred in 2021 at the Capitol protests by his supporters. McConnell’s endorsement of Trump in 2024 was a momentary thaw.
Last week, Trump called McConnell a “very bitter man” because McConnell, a polio-affected child, had opposed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as the top health official of the United States.
Before they fell out, Trump and McConnell worked together to pass a tax reform that was largely geared towards reducing taxes for higher-earning taxpayers and businesses. McConnell and Trump worked together to reshape the Supreme Court. Trump nominated 3 justices while McConnell steered them through the Senate to confirmation. The high court was shifted to the right.
McConnell’s refusal to give Merrick Garland, the nominee of then-President Barack Obama to replace late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a hearing in 2016, set a precedent for hardball political tactics. McConnell halted the Senate’s role of “advising and consenting” for judicial nominations by saying the vacancy would be filled by the new president so that voters could express their opinions. Trump filled the vacancy after he became president, and McConnell called his refusal to accept Garland’s nomination “most consequential”.
McConnell then rushed the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett through the Senate after liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away just weeks before Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. This was done to avoid accusations of hypocrisy.
McConnell guided both the Senate and Trump through two impeachment proceedings that ended with acquittals.
McConnell has shifted from being the majority leader to the minority leader depending on which party was in power. He supported George W. Bush in his handling of the Iraq War and did not block Obama’s healthcare reform.
McConnell was the longest-serving senator from Kentucky. He ensured the Bluegrass State got plenty of federal funding. He was also a major architect of his party’s rise in power in Kentucky, a state that had been dominated for decades by Democrats.
Elaine Chao is his wife, and the two have been a power pair in Washington for many years. In his prepared remarks on Thursday, the Senator referred to Elaine Chao as his “ultimate confidante and teammate.” Chao served as Bush’s labor secretary and Trump’s transportation secretary, but she resigned following the Capitol Insurrection. She said it “deeply disturbed” her.
McConnell’s parting remarks reflected his devotion to the Senate and his disdain towards his detractors.
“The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence,” he said. “And, to the disappointment of my critics, I’m still here on the job.”