Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the subject of speculation about a potential retirement, is not expected to leave the bench this year, sources said.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the subject of intensifying speculation about a potential retirement before the midterm elections, is not expected to leave the bench this year, sources close to the justice have told ABC News.

Alito, 76, has been hiring clerks for next term and intends to continue serving into at least 2027, the sources who have spoken to Alito told ABC.

The court’s most senior member – 77-year-old conservative Justice Clarence Thomas – is also expected to remain on the bench.