Senator Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), the longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, announced on Thursday he will not be seeking reelection in 2026.

McConnell intends to serve the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027. The former Senate minority leader announced the news on his 83rd birthday.

“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said in prepared remarks provided to the Associated Press. “Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”