The longest serving U.S. senator in Kentucky history will not run for an eighth term. Senator Mitch McConnell made the announcement Thursday on the Senate floor. Longtime Kentucky political journalist Al Cross has covered and written about McConnell for nearly four decades. He said it wasn’t a surprise.
“He is 83 years old, and I think the fact he announced on his birthday is indicative of the reasons for him not running. He also voted against a number of the president’s nominations, and the president remains popular in Kentucky, so that was a real signal that he was not going to run again.”
Asked about possible successors, Cross mentioned 6th District Congressman Andy Barr, former state Attorney General Cameron and businessman Nate Morris. He said McConnell’s greatest influence has been on the changing of the judiciary.
“He's the man who kept the Supreme Court seat open for 14 months so that it could be filled by a Republican president. And if that had not happened, the Supreme Court would have been five to four liberal, as Trump had come in. And in fact, if he had not done that, I think Trump might not have won.”
Cross said not allowing hearings for President Obama’s nominee made judicial picks much more important in the 2016 election and led many conservative evangelicals to vote for Trump.
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