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.

McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision.

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