(NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as the next Senate Republican leader.

“Mitch McConnell, who has served in the Senate for almost 40 years, announced he’ll step down this November. Part of public service is about knowing when to usher in a new generation,” Kennedy wrote Wednesday in a post on X.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday he’ll resign from his leadership position in November.

“It’s time to promote leaders in Washington, DC who won’t kowtow to the military contractors or push us deeper into foreign conflicts. We need representation who will prioritize American wellness over all else. I believe @RandPaul would be an incredible successor. He’s shown great judgment and has the grit to put hardworking Americans first,” wrote Kennedy, who challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, before announcing his run as an independent last year.

McConnell’s exit will finish his tenure as the longest-serving Senate party leader. At age 82, he announced his decision in the well of the Senate, the chamber where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived and where he grew increasingly comfortable in the front row seat afforded the party leaders.

“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter. So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate,” McConnell said.

McConnell added that he plans to serve out his Senate term which ends January 2027.

McConnell’s upcoming leadership exit also prompts a battle to replace him, with figures including Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, John Thune, R-S.D., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., among those anticipated to jockey for the current leader’s role, The Hill reports.