Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday 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.

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.