Supreme Court Justice Alito said he's 'thought about' retirement as Senate control hangs in balance

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he has "thought about" retiring after the high court's last term but decided against it, believing he could still make "a valuable contribution," he said in an interview with CBS News . Alito, 76, is the second-oldest justice on the bench, and speculation had swirled that he would retire while Republicans control the Senate and the White House — when the chances of swiftly confirming a GOP-backed candidate to the bench would be high. The possibility that the Senate could flip to Democrats after November's midterm election may make confirmation of any potential nominee of President Donald Trump more difficult or impossible if Democrats control the Senate.