Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell has announced that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump.

Republican Mitch McConnell, a shrewd political tactician who tilted the Supreme Court to the right but whose traditional brand of conservatism was overtaken by Donald Trump’s populism, announced he won’t seek reelection to the US Senate in 2026.

Ky., stepped down as the longest-serving party leader in U.S. history last year, but has continued to face questions about his health and age.