Mitch McConnell

Biography

Overview

Mitch McConnell is the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since 1985. He is a Republican serving in his seventh Senate term and is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history. McConnell previously served as Senate Republican leader from 2007 to 2025, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. He was Senate majority leader from 2015 to 2021. On February 20, 2025, McConnell announced he would not run for an eighth Senate term in 2026 and would retire from politics.

Career

McConnell has shaped federal judicial appointments as Senate leader. During the Obama administration, he blocked the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016 and slowed judicial confirmations overall—Obama's final two years saw the fewest district and appeals court judge confirmations since President Truman. During Trump's first term, McConnell confirmed a record number of federal appeals court judges (23 in his first two years) and 260 federal judges overall across Trump's four-year term. McConnell also led Senate passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the First Step Act, and the Great American Outdoors Act. He invoked the nuclear option to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster requirement for Supreme Court nominations.

Prior political experience

Election history details are not available in the provided data. The source material indicates McConnell has been serving as senator since 1985 and is in his seventh Senate term, but specific election margins, opponents, and dates are not provided.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal

Conservative

119th Congress+0.402

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1

+1

+0.018

Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 621 scored votes

Campaigns targeting Mitch McConnell

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Officeholding history

Term	Seat	Term dates	Termination	Predecessor	Successor
7th	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	2021–present	In progress	Mitch McConnell	—
6th	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	2015–2021	Term ended	Mitch McConnell	Mitch McConnell
5th	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	2009–2015	Term ended	Mitch McConnell	Mitch McConnell
4th	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	2003–2009	Term ended	Mitch McConnell	Mitch McConnell
3rd	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	1997–2003	Term ended	Mitch McConnell	Mitch McConnell
2nd	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	1991–1997	Term ended	Mitch McConnell	Mitch McConnell
1st	U.S. Senate KY Class 2	1985–1991	Term ended	—	Mitch McConnell

Committee assignments

Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research
SenateChairman· 2021–present
Joint Committee on Printing
jointChairman· 2021–present
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
SenateChairman· 2021–present
Department of Defense
SenateChairman· 2021–present
Joint Committee of Congress on the Library
jointVice Chairman· 2021–present
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Senate· 2021–present
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Senate· 2021–present
Energy and Water Development
Senate· 2021–present
Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Senate· 2021–present
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Senate· 2021–present
Commodities, Derivatives, Risk Management, and Trade
Senate· 2021–present
Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate· 2021–present

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term5

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

Year	Seat	Result	Vote share	Field
—	—	Pending	—	—