82-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on February 28th that he will be stepping down from his position as the Republicans’ leader in the U.S. Senate. McConnell was elected to lead the Republican party in 2006, starting his leadership in the following January of 2007. He lead the party for 17 years making McConnell the longest-serving leader of a Senate party of all time.

McConnell says his decision to take a smaller role in the Senate came after he lost his sister-in-law to a car accident earlier in the month. McConnell said:

“Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to prioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind…“I turned 82 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer.”

McConnell has led a storied career in the Senate sponsoring 522 bills, passing 212 bills in the Senate, and having 11 of them become law. McConnell is also known for his controversy amongst both parties as well. McConnell was despised by Democrats for being possibly their biggest roadblock on the Senate floor. McConnell shut down and helped repeal many bills sponsored and passed by the Democrats. McConnell recently has been put into controversy by his own party, as he worked with Trump in his first term, although with some bumps along the way in their relationship. After Trump lost the 2020 election McConnell refused to corroborate Trump’s claim about the election being stolen from him. McConnell has been faced with managing the never-Trumpers and the Trump wing of the party. The Trump wing has been constantly attacking McConnell for his supposed disloyalty to Trump.

McConnell has played one of the biggest roles in American politics since his election in 1984. No matter the side of the aisle, McConnell has certainly left his mark. He will finish his term that ends in 2027.