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.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, after spent decades in the nation's Capitol shaping Republican priorities, will not seek reelection when his term expires.

Mitch McConnell announced the impending close of his four-decade Senate career Thursday, underscoring a remarkable legacy of turning American government rightward but also capping a fading era in Republican politics.