Mitch McConnell declined to say Tuesday whether he’d pursue an eighth term in the U.S. Senate when the seat is up for re-election in 2026.
“You’re asking me to predict what I might do three years from now. I don’t have a prediction on that. No news to make,” the GOP leader said in a response to a question from the Herald-Leader at an event in Lexington, Kentucky.
McConnell, who is 81-years-old, was participating in an agricultural listening tour with Agricultural Commissioner Ryan Quarles and Arkansas Sen. John Boozman.
The Kentucky Republican easily secured a seventh term in 2020, defeating Democrat Amy McGrath by nearly 20 points. In January, he officially broke the record for longest-serving Senate leader, surpassing Montana Sen. Mike Mansfield, who served as majority leader for 16 years.
Despite being in the crosshairs of former President Donald Trump, who is running to reclaim the White House in 2024, McConnell has maintained the confidence of the Republican caucus.
But a fall in March that hospitalized McConnell and sent him to rehabilitation raised fresh questions about his health and whether he would fulfill his full six-year term.
If McConnell were to vacate his seat before the 2026 election, the governor would select his replacement from a list of three options from the Republican Party.
Austin Horn contributed reporting.
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