McConnell, Mitch (1942-…), a Republican, has represented Kentucky in the United States Senate since 1985. McConnell has been the leader of the Republicans in the Senate since 2007. He served as the Senate’s minority leader from 2007 to 2015, and again from 2021. McConnell served as majority leader when Republicans controlled the Senate from 2015 to 2021.
Early life and family.
McConnell was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on Feb. 20, 1942. His full name is Addison Mitchell McConnell. McConnell’s family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he graduated from high school in 1960. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville in 1964 and a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1967.
McConnell married Sherrill Redmon, who became a scholar of feminist thought, in 1968. The couple, who had three daughters, divorced in 1980. In 1993, McConnell married Elaine Chao. From 2001 to 2009, Chao served as secretary of labor in the administration of George W. Bush. From 2017 to 2021, Chao served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Cabinet of President Donald J. Trump.
Political career.
From 1968 to 1970, McConnell was chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook of Kentucky. From 1974 to 1976, McConnell served as deputy assistant U.S. attorney general for legislative affairs. He was judge-executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky, from 1978 to 1985.
In 1984, McConnell was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate. He took office in 1985. McConnell was reelected in 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. As a senator, McConnell has opposed limits on congressional campaign spending. He has also opposed tax increases and favored limits on government spending. He served as chair of the Select Committee on Ethics from 1995 to 1997. He also served on a number of other committees, including Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Appropriations; and Rules and Administration.
McConnell became the Republican majority whip (assistant leader) in 2003. He became the Senate’s top Republican in 2007. From 2017 to 2021, during the administration of President Trump, McConnell helped pass tax-cut legislation and confirm many conservative judges. McConnell later strongly criticized the president for promoting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In February 2024, McConnell announced that he would step down from his leadership position after the November elections that year.
