Justice Samuel Alito has said he intends to remain on the Supreme Court through the end of its current term in late June or early July, regardless of whether Democrats win a Senate majority in next month's midterm elections, Bloomberg reported.
"I intend to stick around through this term," Alito said in an interview with Bloomberg, referring to the court's term that began Monday. "I made that decision many months ago."
The 76-year-old justice also ruled out retiring during the brief lame-duck session of Congress after the election, when Republicans would still hold their Senate majority through early January even if they lose control for the next Congress. If Democrats become the majority, they could block any Supreme Court nominee from President Donald Trump.
Alito acknowledged that the idea of retiring had crossed his mind but said, "I don't feel mentally or physically decrepit," according to Bloomberg. In a recent interview with CBS News, Alito said he considered retiring this year. "It's something I think that somebody at my age has to think about every term," he told CBS.
Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2005 by then-President George W. Bush. He is one of six conservative justices on the nine-member court. Three of the other conservatives—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—were nominated by Trump.
Democrats in the Senate are still stung by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocking the Senate from, the report noted, without providing further detail.