A week ago, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made it official that this would be his last term in office after serving in the United States Senate for over four decades.

After noting that he was "humbled" by the faith Kentuckians had put in him over the years, the 83-year-old McConnell said, "Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last."

The former Senate Majority Leader, who has suffered some health scares over the last couple of years, had previously been praised by conservatives for being the "GOAT" on judicial confirmations. But in recent years, he earned their disdain for - among other things - positioning himself as a Trump-skeptic voice of sorts, most recently with his votes against some of President Donald Trump's cabinet nominees, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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As expected, the race to replace McConnell is already on, with former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron having officially declared his intentions not long after McConnell made his announcement.

Though some media outlets have suggested Cameron "is widely seen as the heir apparent to McConnell," there is another well-known Kentucky Republican who is reportedly being encouraged to throw his hat into the ring as well: longtime GOP political strategist/CNN commentator Scott Jennings:

Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings is being privately and publicly encouraged to run for Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s open Senate seat in 2026, sources, including a Republican operative familiar with the race, told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

Some conservative personalities floated the possibility publicly on X. The pundit is known for his advocacy of the Trump administration on the airwaves, and he regularly goes viral for debating liberal pundits on the cable television network.

He served as a longtime advisor to the outgoing Kentucky senator and previously worked in the George W. Bush administration.

Though Jennings hasn't publicly commented one way or the other on his future plans beyond the post-election news that he had joined the Los Angeles Times editorial board, he does seem to have one pretty popular fan:

Scott’s voice of reason is like music https://t.co/V6lpO2MX8D

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2025

Other talk on the Twitter/X machine was more divided, with some floating Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) as the better (possible) contender than either Cameron or Jennings.

Jennings certainly is articulate and knowledgeable about the issues on which conservatives are most passionate, and he absolutely has the media's and left's numbers.  And he has an extensive pedigree of behind-the-scenes experience in both Kentucky and national politics. But I have to admit that him giving his fellow CNN panelists fits every day by upending their narratives is something I'd miss, even though surely he'd have his epic moments on the Senate floor, too.

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments.