McConnell to stick around as rivals, including Fla.’s Scott, wait McConnell up for reelection in 2026
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has had two high-profile health crises recently, raising questions about the longevity of his remaining tenure as Senate minority leader and who might succeed him.
In both cases, McConnell froze while taking questions, and the video clips went viral on social media. The ensuing chatter coined the cruel phrase “mitching” and raised the national conversation about the United States and the aged leaders at the helm of government.
In the case of leadership of the GOP U.S. Senate minority, the succession speculation naturally includes Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who mounted a failed bid to dethrone McConnell last November.
Here are three things to know:
Who is Mitch McConnell and why is he an important political figure?
McConnell, 81, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and is presently serving in his seventh term, which concludes in 2026.
McConnell has been one of the most consequential Senate leaders of the past half century. In particular, he has had a major hand in reshaping the federal judiciary along a far more conservative line.
In particular, he blocked then-President Barack Obama’s ability to nominate a U.S. Supreme Court justice to replace the late conservative court icon Antonin Scalia. He later muscled through the nomination of Amy Barrett Cohen after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in 2020 during thenPresident Donald Trump’s last months in office, achieving a conservative majority on the high court for the first time in nearly a century. McConnell still has another yearand-a-half left in his post as Republican leader in the Senate. His U.S. Senate term representing Kentucky ends in 2026. He has vowed to finish both terms, insisting that he was medically cleared by the U.S. Capitol physician.
But that hasn’t stopped concerns about his health, especially as a Senate leader, and it hasn’t halted the elephant in the room that McConnell may face a strong challenger either at the end of his term or have a successor in place if he were to step down sooner.
So far, McConnell appears to have more than enough support to remain minority leader despite the concerns about his health.
That’s not to say others, especially in the far-right wing of the party, are raising concerns. One of those has been Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, who didn’t back McConnell’s successful reelection as Senate minority leader last fall.
Hawley said that constituents all over his state are constantly asking about McConnell’s health.
“2024 is an awfully important election for Republicans,” Hawley said. “We should’ve taken back the Senate last year — we didn’t. This is our shot to take it back, and I just hope we’re going to be focused on that.”
Who could replace McConnell? Maybe Rick Scott?
One Republican of interest is Florida’s own U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. That’s the case if for no other reason than it was Scott who challenged McConnell for the top Senate leadership post in November, although the longshot bid ended in a 37-10 vote rout.
Scott is currently running for re-election in reddening Florida — his term ends in 2025. Scott has not commented on any political moves beyond seeking a second term in November 2024.
Scott, though, has some political baggage on the national stage beyond the failed attempt to topple McConnell. He was dragged earlier this year, and last year as well, by both Republicans and Democrats for his plan to sunset federal programs every five years. After heavy criticism, Scott exempted Social Security and Medicare from his plan.
Scott was also bruised in February when McConnell pulled Scott from the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, despite Scott having more seniority on this committee assignment than other U.S. senators on the panel.
So far, Scott has not commented on McConnell’s health and has focused on his reelection bid, and his efforts to push his Federal Disaster Responsibility Act, an act arisen from Florida’s hurricane impacts which has multiple provisions to provide relief and tax cuts for those affected by disaster losses.
Stephany Matat is a politics reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. Reach her at smatat@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.