On Wednesday, the Republican from Kentucky, who is currently serving as Senate Minority Leader, said that he will be stepping down as GOP leader in November. This announcement marks the end of an era on Capitol Hill and sets the stage for a highly competitive fight for his replacement.
Even though he’ll be stepping down as Senate Republican Conference chair, he’ll keep serving in the US Senate.
Last Monday, McConnell, who celebrated his 82nd birthday, stated, “the end of my contributions are closer than I prefer.”
Throughout his time in politics, McConnell has been a towering presence in the nation’s capital and accomplished much. After becoming the longest-serving Senate party leader in 2023, McConnell retired from active politics.
To McConnell, “as I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work” (floor speech, 2017). There will be a time when I know I have done my part to protect the values in which I have always believed. Today, that day came.
After he finished speaking, he was greeted with a standing ovation, and New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who is the majority leader of the Senate, went over to shake his hand. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican, embraced him as he was followed by numerous colleagues from both parties.
In the last year, McConnell has had a series of prominent health problems.
He suffered a concussion in March following a tumble at a Washington, DC hotel.
Some months down the road, McConnell had moments where he seemed to freeze up while talking to reporters twice; these occurrences raised concerns about the health of the Republican from Kentucky, who was then leading the Senate Republican party.
On Wednesday, McConnell announced his resignation, citing the tragic loss of his wife Elaine Chao’s younger sister, Angela, in a car accident earlier this month as the reason.
I know that some of you are aware of how tough this time has been for my family. Angela, Elaine’s younger sister, passed away suddenly a few weeks earlier. It is normal to feel some self-reflection throughout the mourning process after losing a loved one, especially if the loss occurred while you were young. Maybe it’s a sign from above that you need to reevaluate how you want to leave your mark on the earth, because we all must eventually depart from this planet, he said.
He expressed his gratitude to his 31-year-wife, describing her as the “love of my life” and explaining that he is “eternally grateful to have her by my side.”
He concluded his address by promising his detractors that he would continue to be an annoyance to them during his leadership.
“I intend to thoroughly disappoint my critics with all the enthusiasm with which they’ve become accustomed, and I still have enough petrol in my tank,” he remarked.
A new Republican leader in the Senate is being sought.
Senate Republicans John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota are collectively known on Capitol Hill as the “three Johns” because of the intense scrutiny they receive as possible successors.
In the wake of McConnell’s announcement, Senate minority whip Thune has been tight-lipped about his leadership ambitions.
“Obviously, there are large shoes to fill after him. He stated, “I think there there’ll be plenty of time” to decide whether or not to run. Our sole purpose here today is to remember him for his service and to reflect on it. After that, we can take it from there.
When asked multiple times whether he plans to run for the position, Cornyn remained silent each time.
He told AWN, “I think Mitch has been one of a kind in terms of his leadership in the Senate,” before leaving the floor to listen to McConnell’s remarks on the floor.