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Mitch McConnell Fast Facts

Posted at 8:15 PM, Feb 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-06 14:42:42-05

Here is a look at the life of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.

Personal:
Birth date: February 20, 1942

Birth place: Colbert County, Alabama

Birth name: Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr.

Father: Addison Mitchell McConnell

Mother: Julia (Shockley) McConnell

Marriage: Elaine Chao (1993-present); Sherrill Redmon (1968-1980, divorced)

Children: with Sherrill Redmon: Porter; Claire; Eleanor

Education: University of Louisville, B.A., 1964; University of Kentucky, J.D., 1967

Religion: Baptist

Other Facts:
Contracted polio at age two and was not allowed to walk for two years while completing physical therapy.

His wife, Elaine Chao, served as secretary of the Department of Labor under President George W. Bush and deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush. Chao now serves as the secretary of the Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump.

Timeline:
1968-1970 – Chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook.

1974-1975 – Deputy Assistant United States Attorney for Legislative Affairs.

1975 – Acting Assistant Attorney General.

1978-1985 – Judge-Executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky.

1984 – Elected to the US Senate to represent Kentucky.

1990 – Re-elected to the US Senate.

1996 – Re-elected to the US Senate.

2002 – Re-elected to the US Senate.

2003-2007 – Senate Republican Whip.

November 16, 2006 – Elected Senate Republican leader. McConnell replaces Bill Frist.

2008 – Re-elected to the US Senate.

October 23, 2010 – During an interview with the National Journal, McConnell says, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

November 4, 2014 – Re-elected to the US Senate.

November 13, 2014 – McConnell is re-elected leader of the Republican party in the Senate. When Congress reconvenes in January 2015, McConnell will take over as Senate Majority Leader from Harry Reid.

January 6, 2015-present – Senate Majority Leader.

December 12, 2016 – Announces he supports a congressional investigation into findings that Russian hackers attempted to influence the election.

June 12, 2018 – Becomes the longest-serving Republican leader in the Senate’s history, surpassing former Sen. Robert Dole‘s record.