Mitch McConnell won't seek reelection in 2026

Former U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who recently stepped down from the leadership position, said on Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, ending a decades-long tenure in the upper chamber. A Senate term in the United States lasts for six years, and McConnell's current term will expire in January 2027.

McConnell, 83, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984. He began serving as GOP leader since 2007, and is the longest-serving leader in the Senate history. McConnell announced in February 2024 that he would step down from the leadership position at the end of the year. U.S. 

Senate Republicans then elected John Thune, a senator from South Dakota and former Republican whip, to succeed McConnell as the next majority leader in the upper chamber.