WASHINGTON — Mitch McConnell made history on Tuesday, becoming the longest serving Senate leader in American history, surpassing Mike Mansfield, a Democrat from Montana who logged 16 years in the role.
McConnell, Kentucky’s longest-serving senator, is now approaching his 17th year leading the Republican caucus since first being tapped to steer the GOP in November 2006.
“The greatest honor of my career is representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky in this chamber and fighting for my fellow Kentuckians,” McConnell said on the Senate floor on the first day of the new congressional session. “But the second-greatest honor is the trust that my fellow Republican senators have placed in me to lead our diverse conference and help them achieve their goals.”
