> holding on until after election for governor in Kentucky <
I just looked it up. To my surprise, the governor of Kentucky is a Democrat. So if McConnell resigns due to ill health, we get another Democrat senator.
So given the shape he’s in, if McConnell says, that’s bad.
If he resigns, that’s bad.
KY works a little differently
The governor has to pick someone from a list provided by the outgoing senators party