Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will be vacating his seat as Senate minority leader following the general election in November, he announced from the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon. “To serve Kentucky has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege,” said McConnell, who turned 82 last week. “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.”
McConnell noted that his decision came amid "a particularly difficult time for my family,” referring to the recent death of Angela Chao, the younger sister of McConnell's wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. “When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process,” McConnell said.
