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Mitch McConnellREPRepublican United States Senator
81
Years of Age
38
Years of Experience
KYResidence (state)

Addison Mitchell McConnell III (mə-KON-əl; born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and retired attorney serving in his seventh term as the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since 1985, and in his second stint as Senate Minority Leader, having previously held that post from 2007 to 2015. During a period of Republican control from 2015 to 2021, he was Senate Majority Leader. In total, McConnell has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007. McConnell first served as a Deputy United States Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford from 1974 until 1975 and went on to serve as Jefferson County Judge/Executive from 1977 until 1984 in his home state of Kentucky. McConnell was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate. During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles, he was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He was elected Majority Whip to Bill Frist in the 108th Congress and re-elected to the post in 2004. In November 2006 he was elected Senate minority leader, the post he held until Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015. McConnell holds conservative political positions, although he was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Republican early in his political career. He led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws, culminating in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v.

Voterly's Issue Scores  (1 - 30 of 30)

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Special Interest Group Ratings

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Rating
Interest Groups That OPPOSE
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Average Score

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Campaign Funding

20
18
$26,225,399
Total Raised
$30,013,818
Total Spent
$3,595,456
Cash on Hand
Top Industries  (1 - 4 of 10) View All Industries
99%
Securities & Investment$2,100,062
52%
Retired$1,105,341
45%
Insurance$950,775
43%
Lawyers/Law Firms$919,761
41%
Real Estate$878,665
39%
Oil & Gas$836,364
39%
Health Professionals$822,670
35%
Lobbyists$740,085
28%
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products$596,686
23%
Leadership PACs$489,712
Direct campaign contributions grouped by the industry industry of each donor/PAC.

Largest Contributors

Funding generally from an organization's PAC or its members/employees. Organizations did not donate directly.
Financial Data Source: Center for Responsive Politics
Education6 - 6 of 4
University of Louisville
Bachelor of Arts
1964
University of Kentucky
duPont Manual High School
University of Kentucky College of Law
Juris Doctor
1967
Past Positions1 - 12 of 12
Minority Leader
United States Senate
2021 - Current
Majority Leader
United States Senate
2015 - 2021
Minority Leader
United States Senate
2007 - 2015
Republican Whip
United States Senate
2003 - 2007
Senator
United States Senate, Kentucky
1985 - Current
Judge-Executive
Jefferson County
1978 - 1985
Acting Assistant
United States Attorney General
1975
Deputy Assistant
United States Attorney General
1974 - 1975
Employee
Tom Emberton Campaign for Kentucky Governor
1971
Chief Legislative Assistant
United States Senator Marlow Cook
1968 - 1970
Served
United States Army Reserve
1967
Intern
Senator John Sherman Cooper
1964
Other Experience1 - 19 of 19
Member
Sons of the American Revolution
2013 - Current
Chair
National Republican Senatorial Committee
1998
Chair
National Republican Senatorial Committee
2000
Founder
James Madison Center for Free Speech
1997
Member
National Institute of Justice
1982 - 1984
Chair
Kentucky Task Force on Exploited and Missing Children
1982
President
Kentucky Association of County Judge/Executives
1982
Member
National Child Tragedies Coalition
1981
Member
Kentucky Bar Association
1967
Former President
University of Kentucky Student Bar Association
Member
Board of Selectors, Jefferson Awards for Public Service
Vice Chair
Ethics Study Commission
Former Chair
Select Committee on Ethics, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research, and Specialty Crops, United States Senate
Former Member
Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
Former Member
Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources Subcommittee, United States Senate
Former Member
Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate
Former Member
Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security Subcommittee, United States Senate
Member
Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus