McConnell To Step Aside in 2026, Setting Up What Could Be a Nasty Republican Primary
The longest-serving Senate leader in history will likely be remembered for the conservative supermajority he helped install on the Supreme Court, which could last for decades.
Senator McConnell says he will not run for an eighth term in 2026, bringing his historic political career to a close and freeing him up even further to be a thorn in the side of President Trump from his perch in the Senate. Mr. McConnell’s decision to step aside could set up a nasty fight among Kentucky Republicans for the Senate nomination.
Mr. McConnell, at the age of 80, will leave the Senate having had the longest tenure as a chamber party leader in history — 18 years in total. He says now that he has done enough and is ready to leave.
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