Here's a look at Mitch McConnell's career in the U.S. Senate

Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal

After holding a prominent role by acting as the Republican Party leader in the Senate since the 2000s, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to step down from his position. The decision, announced on Wednesday, would bring an end to his lengthy leadership position in the Senate.

Is Mitch McConnell leaving office?

No. McConnell announced the decision to step down Wednesday on the Senate floor. He plans to step down from the Minority Leader position in November and remain in office to finish his current term, which will be complete at the end of 2026. He has not said whether or not he'll seek re-election.

Previously: Mitch McConnell to step down as US Senate minority leader

Who is Mitch McConnell?

McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader, is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history. The politician, who recently turned 82, will see his current term end in 2026. He’d be 84 at the time of the election.

According to his U.S. Senate biography, McConnell is the second-ever Kentuckian to be Majority Leader of the Senate and held the position from 2015 to 2021. The first Kentuckian to do so was Senator Alben Barkley, Democratic Majority Leader from 1937 to 1949.

McConnell, a well-known politician, has received both praise and criticism for his Senate leadership. He’s been called “the most important Republican since Ronald Reagan” and “the most conservative leader of either party in the history of the Senate,” according to the U.S. Senate.

Previously: McConnell to resign from Senate leadership

McConnell acted as the GOP Senate leader during Trump’s presidency, but the relationship was severed following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. While McConnell failed to vote for impeachment after the incident, he claimed Trump had moral responsibility for the occurrence and could be held responsible in court.

The politician, who moved to Kentucky during his childhood, graduated with honors from the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences, where he served as student body president. He also is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was elected president of the Student Bar Association.

'Kentucky will lose clout': How McConnell's decision to leave leadership will impact state

How long has Mitch McConnell been in office? Timeline of his career:

  • 1964: McConnell graduates from the University of Louisville in political science, with honors.

  • 1967: McConnell graduates from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

  • 1978: McConnell acts as judge-executive for Jefferson County.

  • 1985: McConnell takes office as member of the Senate.

  • 2003: McConnell acts as majority whip.

  • 2007: McConnell becomes the Republican Party Senate leader, acting as Minority Leader.

  • 2015: McConnell becomes Republican Party Majority Leader in the Senate. (The majority/minority leader positions switch based on the political party in control of the Senate. When he first took the position, the Republican Party held a minority of Senate seats, while they took the majority in 2015.)

  • 2017-2020: McConnell helps to appoint three Supreme Court Justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

  • 2021: McConnell acts as Republican Party Minority Leader.

  • February 2024: McConnell, age 82, announces decision to step down as GOP's Minority Leader in the Senate.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mitch McConnell to step down: A timeline of the senator's career

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