Menu

Mitch McConnell Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Quick Info→
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Wife: Elaine Chao (Politician)
Net Worth: $22.8 Million

Mitch McConnell

Bio/Wiki
Full NameAddison Mitchell McConnell Jr.
ProfessionPolitician
Famous ForBeing the longest-serving U.S. Senator from Kentucky in history
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 178 cm
in meters- 1.78 m
in feet inches- 5’ 10”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 70 kg
in pounds- 154 lbs
Eye ColorHazel Green
Hair ColorSalt & Pepper
Politics
Political PartyRepublican Party
McConnell is a member of the Republican Party
Political Journey1975: Acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs
1977: Elected the Jefferson County Judge/Executive, the former top political office in Jefferson County, Kentucky
1981: Re-elected as the Jefferson County Judge
1984: Elected to the U.S. Senate defeating Democratic opponent, Walter "Dee" Huddleston.
1990: Elected to the U.S. Senate again
1996: Re-elected to the Senate
1999: Chairperson of the Senate Rules Committee
2002: Re-elected to the Senate
2007: Senate Minority Leader
2008: Re-elected to the Senate
2014: Re-elected to the Senate
2015: Senate Majority Leader
Awards, Honours, Achievements • Tax Fighter Award (2014)
McConnell receiving Tax fighter award
• Building Independence Award (2015)
McConnell receiving Building Independence Award
• Faith & Freedom Award (2018)
McConnell receiving Faith & Freedom Award
• Excellence in Leadership Award (2019)
McConnell receiving Excellence in Leadership Award
• Honorary degree by Hillsdale College (2019)
McConnell receiving Honorary Degree
Personal Life
Date of BirthFebruary 20, 1942
Age (as in 2019) 77 Years
BirthplaceSheffield, Alabama, U.S.
Zodiac signPisces
SignatureMitch McConnell signature
NationalityAmerican
HometownLouisville, Kentucky, U.S.
SchoolDuPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky
College/University• The University of Louisville, Kentucky (B.A. in Political Science)
• The University of Kentucky, Kentucky (Doctor of Jurisprudence, J.D.)
Educational QualificationDoctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)
ReligionChristianity (Southern Baptist)
HobbiesWatching sports, Travelling, Listening to Music
Controversies• His short period of time for the Military, has been a controversial issue and many politicians have raised their questions over it.
• After President Donald Trump's racial comments on Twitter, Mitch McConnell backed Trump and said, "Trump is not racist." [1]TIME
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date(s)First Marriage: Year- 1968
Second Marriage: Year- 1993
Family
Wife/SpouseFirst Wife- Sherrill Redmon (Feminist Scholar, div: 1980)
Mitch McConnell's ex-wife Sherrill Redmon
Second Wife- Elaine Chao (Politician)
McConnell with his second wife
ChildrenSon- None
Daughters- Elly McConnell, Porter McConnell, Claire McConnell
ParentsFather- Addison Mitchell McConnell (Armyman)
Mother- Julia McConnell
SiblingsNone
Favorite Things
Favorite SportsFootball, Basketball
Money Factor
Salary (approx.)$193,400/Year (as in 2014)
Net Worth (approx.)$22.8 million (as in 2014) [2]Washington Post

Mitch McConnell

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mitch McConnell

  • Does Mitch McConnell smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Mitch McConnell drink alcohol?: Yes

    McConnell likes to drink alcohol

    McConnell likes to drink alcohol

  • He is of Scottish, Irish, and English descent.
  • When he was only 2 years old, his left leg got paralyzed by a polio attack. He was treated in Warm Spring Institute, Georgia. He once said, “When I was a child and my dad was in World War II, I got polio. I recovered, but my family almost went broke.”
  • In 1956, McConnell moved to Louisville, Kentucky with his family.

    Childhood photo of Mitch McConnell

    Childhood photo of Mitch McConnell

  • He was the President of the student council of the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
  • In 1964, at the age of 22, McConnell became an intern for senator, John Sherman Cooper. Later, he was inspired by Cooper to run for the Senate.
  • When he was a student of the University of Kentucky, he was the President of the Student Bar Association.
  • In July 1967, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve. However, he was deemed medically unfit after being diagnosed with optic neuritis. So, he was honorably discharged.
  • From 1968 to 1970, he worked as an aide to Senator, Marlow Cook in Washington D.C.

    Senator Marlow Cook and McConnell

    Senator Marlow Cook and McConnell

  • In 1971, he came to Louisville and worked for Tom Emberton’s candidacy for the Governor of Kentucky, which was unsuccessful. He also attempted to run for a seat in the state legislature but got disqualified because he did not meet the residency requirements for the office. During this time, he taught a night class on Political Science in the University of Louisville.
  • In his early years of politics, he was considered the pragmatist and moderate Republican. However, gradually, he switched to the right.
  • In 1997, he founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a Washington D.C. based legal defense organization.
  • In 2003, he underwent a triple heart bypass surgery to treat blocked arteries at National Naval Medical Center, Maryland.
  • During the Presidency of Barack Obama, he was widely described as obstructionist. In 2010, McConnell stated that the single most important thing we want to achieve is to stop President Barack Obama to only a term.

    McConnell with Barack Obama

    McConnell with Barack Obama

  • In 2015, he was listed by the TIME magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world.
  • McConnell disagreed with Donald Trump on multiple issues on multiple time. One such issue is of 2016 when Trump stirred Access Hollywood controversy. Over the issue, McConnell stated, “As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape.”

    McConnell shaking hand with Donald Trump

    McConnell shaking hand with Donald Trump

  • He has earned popularity as a skilled political strategist and tactician. However, this popularity waned when Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2017.
  • His second wife, Elaine Chao, has served as a Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and as a Secretary of Transportation under Donald Trump.
  • He has also sat on the board of selectors Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

References/Sources:[+]