The Kentucky governor asked Mitch McConnell to disclose more about his condition after the 84-year-old senator was hospitalized on June 14 and gave no public statement, photo or video for three weeks.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear publicly urged Mitch McConnell to provide more detail about his health, saying concern has grown over the senator’s condition and ability to hold office after his June 14 hospitalization in Washington. McConnell, 84, has not issued a public statement, photo or video since then, and aides have said only that he continues to improve and is working with staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the chamber is out of session. The lack of detailed disclosure has fueled speculation over whether McConnell will return when the Senate reconvenes next week, prompting Republican Senate leaders to say they had spoken with him and that he was alert and discussing current events. McConnell is retiring at the end of his term in January, and the stakes are heightened by Kentucky’s succession law, which would leave the governor with no role in naming a temporary replacement if the seat becomes vacant before then. Under a 2024 change to the law, a vacancy before Aug. 3 would trigger a special election, potentially alongside the November general election, with the winner able to take office almost immediately. If the seat were vacated after Aug. 3, the seat would remain empty until January.