McConnell, facing health questions, says he’ll serve full term, keep leading Senate GOP
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, plans to serve his full term as the leader of the U.S. Senate GOP caucus, according to a statement from his office..
Responding to questions about the 81-year-old’s health after a prolonged period of silence in front of cameras Wednesday, McConnell’s office assured members of the press Friday of the senior senator’s health and intention to remain in his leadership post.
“Leader McConnell appreciates the continued support of his colleagues, and plans to serve his full term in the job they overwhelmingly elected him to do,” McConnell’s office said in a statement to multiple news outlets, including the Herald-Leader.
When asked about McConnell’s intentions for the remainder of his six-year term in office — he coasted to a re-election victory over Democratic challenger Amy McGrath in 2020 — his office responded similarly.
“Senator McConnell plans to serve his full term in the job the people of Kentucky overwhelmingly elected him to do,” a McConnell aide said in a statement.
Senate leadership is elected every two years. McConnell won the support of his fellow Republicans 37-10 over a challenger in late November of this year to remain in the post. He recently became the longest-serving party leader in U.S. Senate history.
In the wake of the incident Wednesday, reporting revolving around McConnell’s health confirmed the Senator had fallen since a widely-publicized March incident that left him with a concussion and a broken rib.
Meanwhile, questions about whether McConnell will fill out his full term in the Senate, which expires more than three years from now in 2026, have also been raised despite McConnell’s office’s confidence on the matter.
Some Democrats in Kentucky predicted to the Herald-Leader that, should a vacancy occur in either of Kentucky’s Senate seats, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear would challenge a McConnell-backed law ensuring the seat remains in Republican hands.
Last month when McConnell was asked if he’d run again for an eighth term in the U.S. Senate seat in 2026, he declined to answer.
“You’re asking me to predict what I might do three years from now. I don’t have a prediction on that,” McConnell said.
This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 11:49 AM.
