Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Mitch McConnell
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell Republican senators holding a press conference Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell celebrating his reelection in 2014
What is a midterm election?
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
Artwork for themes for Pro-Con articles.
Pro and Con: Filibuster
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
Discover
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.
Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?
NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.
10 Great Sports Rivalries
Panoramic view at sunrise of moai, Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile
6 Lost Civilizations
Bog body. Head of Tollund Man. Died at about age 30-40, Dated to about 280 BCE early Iron Age. Found Bjaeldskovdal bog Denmark in 1950 near Elling Woman. Most well preserved bog body to date. Human remains mummified in natural peat bogs. mummy, embalm
9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us)
New York city skyline aerial with the Empire State Building, New York City, New York.
13 Iconic Buildings to Visit in New York City
Lusitania sinking, illustration from The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919. World War I, WWI. This image is one of three on the page. (See source file for the other two.)
7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?

Mitch McConnell: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Mitch-McConnell
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
American politician Mitch McConnell began his first term representing Kentucky in the U.S. Senate in 1985. A Republican, he served as majority whip (2003–07) and minority leader (2007–15), and he became majority leader in 2015.

Facts

Also Known As Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr.
Born February 20, 1942 (age 82) • Tuscumbia • Alabama
Title / Office United States Senate (1985-), United States
Political Affiliation Republican Party
Notable Family Members son of Addison Mitchell McConnell • son of Julia Odene “Dean” Shockley McConnell • married to Elaine Chao (1993–present) • married to Sherrill Redmon (1968–1980) • father of Elly • father of Claire • father of Porter
Education University of Louisville (B.A.) • University of Kentucky (J.D.)

Top Questions

When was Mitch McConnell born?
McConnell was born on February 20, 1942, in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
Who is Mitch McConnell's wife?
In 1993 McConnell married Elaine Chao, who later served as secretary of labour under Pres. George W. Bush and secretary of transportation under Pres. Donald Trump. McConnell was previously married (1968–80) to Sherrill Redmon, with whom he had three children.
Is Mitch McConnell a Republican?
Yes. McConnell was the first Republican since 1968 to win a statewide election in Kentucky.

Did You Know?

  • McConnell was the second Kentucky senator to serve as Senate majority leader.

Photos and Videos

Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Republican senators holding a press conference
Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell celebrating his reelection in 2014
What is a midterm election?
See All Videos and Images →
George Bruce Cortelyou
United States public official
Henry Hyde
American politician
Herbert Brownell, Jr.
United States public official
John Anthony Volpe
American politician
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
American politician
Montgomery Blair
United States government official
John Connally
American politician
John B. Anderson
American politician
Warren Rudman
United States senator
William S. Cohen
United States senator and secretary of defense
Phil Gramm
United States senator
Christine Todd Whitman
American politician
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
president of United States
Abraham Lincoln portrait
Abraham Lincoln
president of United States
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
president of United States
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
president of United States
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
president of United States
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
president of United States
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
president of United States
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
president of United States