Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, who acquired the moniker "Grim Reaper" as the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, said on Thursday he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending a decades-long career that helped steer American politics decisively to the right.

Kentucky lawmakers and political insiders shared their reactions to Sen. Mitch McConnell's retirement, calling him a "consequential" leader.

Republican Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in history, won't seek reelection next year.