Mitch McConnell sets record as US Senate's longest-serving party leader

Morgan Watkins, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has broken another record with his decades-long career in Congress when he became the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.

That record had been held by Democratic Sen. Mike Mansfield of Montana, but McConnell pulled ahead when Congress convened at noon Tuesday. He has led the Senate Republicans for 16 years and counting − a powerful role he first assumed on Jan. 3, 2007.

"The greatest honor of my career is representing the commonwealth of Kentucky in this chamber and fighting for my fellow Kentuckians," McConnell said Tuesday in a speech on the Senate floor. "But the second-greatest honor is the trust that my fellow Republican senators have placed in me to lead our diverse conference and help them achieve their goals."

He mentioned other senators, both Democrat and Republican, who made their mark as party leaders before him, using different approaches.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., talks to reporters as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol on December 22, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., talks to reporters as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol on December 22, 2022 in Washington, DC.

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"Designated party floor leaders have been a feature of the Senate for more than a hundred years. And no two have done the job exactly alike," he said. "Some notable leaders have built influence through bookish mastery of procedure ... Other leaders are remembered less for parliamentary wizardry than for tackle football."

"Then there’ve been leaders who rose to the job through lower-key, behind-the-scenes styles. And that ... is how Sen. Michael Joseph Mansfield of Montana became the longest-serving Senate leader in American history until today," said McConnell, who went on to describe Mansfield's career in detail.

McConnell has broken records before. He is Kentucky's longest-serving senator and its longest-serving Senate leader.

State Rep. David Osborne (R-Prospect) recognized U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell as the longest serving senate leader during remarks in the House Chamber at the State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. on Jan. 3, 2023.
State Rep. David Osborne (R-Prospect) recognized U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell as the longest serving senate leader during remarks in the House Chamber at the State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. on Jan. 3, 2023.

His record made waves back in the commonwealth. McConnell was recognized on the first day of the Kentucky General Assembly in speeches by legislators including state House Speaker David Osborne and state Senate President Robert Stivers.

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Reach reporter Morgan Watkins at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mitch McConnell is now the Senate's longest-serving party leader