Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday that he will step down as Republican leader in the Senate in November.
McConnell, 82, revealed his plans in an address to the Senate, where he currently serves as minority leader.
McConnell, who is the longest-serving Senate caucus leader in history, plans to keep his seat in the chamber, which he took in 1985. His current term ends in January 2027.
“To serve Kentucky, has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has the highest privilege,” McConnell said.
“But one of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter, so I stand before you today, Mr. President and my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate,” he said.
He noted “this has been a particularly difficult time for my family,” including his wife, former Cabinet secretary Elaine Chao.
“We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister Angela, just a few weeks ago,” McConnell said.
Chao’s sister, Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao died on Feb. 11 from an apparent drowning after her car went into a pond on a ranch outside Austin, Texas, which land records show is owned by a entity linked to the office of her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer.
“When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process,” McConnell said.
But he also said, “I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they have become accustomed.”
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to reporters following the Senate Republicans weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2023.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
McConnell, who has served as majority leader when the GOP controlled the Senate, will leave his leadership post in the same month as the elections for president, and 33 seats in the Senate, which has 100 members.
He and former President Donald Trump, who is the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, have long had a frosty relationsip.
Trump has derisively referred to McConnell as “The Old Crow,” and McConnell reportedly seriously considered voting to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
But The New York Times on Monday reported that people close to Trump and McConnell had been discussing McConnell endorsing Trump’s candidacy.
McConnell twice last summer briefly froze up and was unable to speak to reporters at news conferences. Aides had downplayed both incidents.