Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, briefly served as a US Senator for Georgia (2020-2021). Prior to her political career, she held the position of CEO at Bakkt, a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange, a company led by her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher. Loeffler also shared ownership of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.
1922: Felton Becomes First Female Senator
Rebecca Latimer Felton made history in 1922 as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, although her term was a symbolic one-day appointment.
November 27, 1970: Birth of Kelly Loeffler
Kelly Lynn Loeffler was born on November 27, 1970.
1988: Loeffler Graduates High School
In 1988, Loeffler graduated from Olympia High School in Stanford, Illinois, where she was actively involved in extracurricular activities such as marching band, cross-country, track, and varsity basketball.
1992: Loeffler Earns Bachelor's Degree
Loeffler graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. She was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority during her time there.
1999: Loeffler Obtains MBA
In 1999, Loeffler completed her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in international finance and marketing from DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. She funded her education by mortgaging inherited land.
2002: Loeffler Joins Intercontinental Exchange
Loeffler began working at Intercontinental Exchange, a commodity and financial services company, in 2002, starting in investor relations.
2004: Loeffler Marries Jeffrey Sprecher
In 2004, Loeffler married Jeffrey Sprecher, the CEO of Intercontinental Exchange.
2004: Loeffler marries Jeffrey Sprecher
In 2004, Loeffler married Jeffrey Sprecher, who was the founder and CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange and the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
2012: Loeffler Supports Romney Campaign
Loeffler contributed $750,000 to Restore Our Future, a super PAC that supported Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.
2013: Loeffler and Sprecher buy record-breaking Atlanta estate
In 2013, Loeffler and her husband bought a $10.5 million estate in Tuxedo Park, Atlanta. The purchase was the most expensive residential real estate transaction in Atlanta's history at the time.
2014: Loeffler Considers Senate Run
Loeffler weighed a potential run for the Republican nomination in Georgia's 2014 U.S. Senate election but decided against it because of Intercontinental Exchange's acquisition of the New York Stock Exchange.
2018: Loeffler Becomes CEO of Bakkt
Loeffler rose within Intercontinental Exchange, ultimately becoming the CEO of Bakkt, a subsidiary of the company, in 2018.
August 28, 2019: Isakson Announces Resignation
Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson announced his resignation from the Senate on August 28, 2019, due to health reasons. His resignation would be effective at the year's end.
December 4, 2019: Kemp Appoints Loeffler to Senate
Governor Brian Kemp chose Loeffler on December 4, 2019, to fill Isakson's vacant Senate seat. This decision faced backlash from some Georgia conservatives who favored Representative Doug Collins, a staunch opponent of Trump's impeachment.
December 2019: Loeffler's Political Donations Revealed
By December 2019, Loeffler and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, had donated $3.2 million to political committees, with 97% going to Republicans and 3% to Democrats.
December 2019: Loeffler Appointed to the US Senate
Loeffler was appointed to the U.S. Senate in December 2019 by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, filling the vacancy left by Senator Johnny Isakson's resignation.
January 6, 2020: Loeffler Sworn into Senate
Loeffler was officially sworn into the United States Senate on January 6, 2020. She became the second woman to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate, following Rebecca Latimer Felton, who served a single symbolic day in 1922.
February 2020: Loeffler's Comments on COVID-19 Response
In February 2020, Senator Loeffler publicly criticized the Democratic party's handling of COVID-19 information, claiming they were deliberately misleading the public. She expressed confidence in the Trump administration's response to the pandemic.
March 2020: Loeffler's Assertions on US Economic Strength Amidst Pandemic
In March 2020, Loeffler stated that the United States held a strong economic position to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. She further accused Democrats of exploiting the crisis for political gain.
March 19, 2020: Loeffler's Stock Transactions During Pandemic Come Under Scrutiny
On March 19, 2020, public disclosure of financial documents revealed that Loeffler and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, sold millions of dollars worth of stock in companies susceptible to the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact. The transactions began on January 24, the same day Loeffler attended a private Senate briefing on the virus's spread. Loeffler denied any misconduct, stating a third-party advisor managed the trades without her prior knowledge. Between January 24 and February 14, the couple divested between $1.275 and $3.1 million in stock across 27 companies while investing between $450,000 and $1 million in others, including Citrix, a remote collaboration software provider.
May 2020: Sprecher Donates to Trump Campaign
In May 2020, Loeffler's husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, made his largest political donation to date, giving $1 million to a pro-Trump super PAC supporting his 2020 reelection bid.
May 26, 2020: Justice Department Ends Inquiry into Loeffler's Stock Trades
On May 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice concluded its investigation into Loeffler's stock transactions, which had been the subject of public scrutiny and allegations of insider trading.
June 16, 2020: Senate Ethics Committee Clears Loeffler of Wrongdoing in Stock Trades
On June 16, 2020, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint filed by Common Cause, a watchdog group, concerning Loeffler's stock transactions. They found no evidence suggesting she violated federal law, Senate rules, or ethical standards.
July 2020: Loeffler Objects to WNBA Players' Support for Black Lives Matter
In July 2020, Loeffler, co-owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, publicly opposed players wearing "Black Lives Matter" and "Say Her Name" shirts, suggesting they display American flags instead. She voiced her disapproval of the Black Lives Matter movement, linking it to concepts of defunding the police and abolishing the military. She also asserted the movement promoted violence and antisemitism. Her comments sparked calls for her removal as owner by some WNBA players.
August 2020: WNBA Players Show Support for Loeffler's Opponent
In August 2020, in a move widely interpreted as a response to Loeffler's criticisms of the Black Lives Matter movement, players from the Atlanta Dream and other WNBA teams wore "Vote Warnock" T-shirts. This action demonstrated their support for Raphael Warnock, one of Loeffler's Democratic challengers in the special election.
September 2020: Loeffler Introduces Transgender Sports Bill
In September 2020, Loeffler introduced a bill in the Senate to restrict transgender girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports based on their sex assigned at birth.
October 2020: Loeffler Blames China for Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis
In October 2020, after President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump contracted COVID-19, Loeffler attributed their illness to China. She urged for China to be held responsible, particularly since the Trumps had attended events without masks.
November 2020: Special Election Scheduled
A special election was set for November 2020 to fill the remainder of Isakson's term.
November 2020: Runoff Election Scheduled
Since no candidate secured a majority in the November 2020 election, a runoff was scheduled for January 5, 2021.
November 2020: Loeffler Challenges Election Results
After the November 2020 election, Loeffler and fellow Georgia Senator David Perdue made unsubstantiated claims of election irregularities and called for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's resignation. They supported a lawsuit to overturn the results and initially intended to object to the Electoral College certification.
November 2020: Loeffler reported as wealthiest sitting U.S. Senator
In November 2020, reports estimated Loeffler and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher's, combined net worth to be $800 million, positioning her as the wealthiest sitting U.S. Senator.
November 20, 2020: Loeffler Tests Positive for COVID-19
On November 20, 2020, Loeffler tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a rally in Canton, Georgia, where she spoke without a mask. The positive result came just 46 days before the runoff election. Following the initial positive test, Loeffler entered quarantine and canceled further appearances at rallies.
December 6, 2020: Loeffler participates in debate, refuses to admit Biden's win
During a debate on December 6, 2020, Loeffler repeatedly referred to her opponent as a "radical liberal" and refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.
December 2020: Loeffler Supports Lawsuit to Overturn Election Results
Following the November 2020 election, Loeffler, alongside then-Senator David Perdue, alleged without evidence that the election process had been compromised. They demanded the resignation of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican. Their claims aligned with unfounded allegations of voter fraud, amplifying misinformation disseminated by President Trump and his supporters. Despite a lack of evidence, Loeffler and Perdue's rhetoric contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories challenging the election's legitimacy. Raffensperger refuted the calls for his resignation, emphasizing the absence of proof to support the claims of irregularities. Political analysts suggested Loeffler's decision to echo Trump's baseless fraud accusations stemmed from her desire to retain the support of Trump and his loyal voter base in the January runoff election. In December 2020, Loeffler further demonstrated her alignment with efforts to overturn the election results by supporting a lawsuit filed by Trump allies.
2020: Loeffler's Acceptance of Endorsement from Marjorie Taylor Greene Sparks Controversy
Loeffler's 2020 campaign saw her accepting an endorsement from Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial figure who won the election for Georgia's 14th congressional district. Greene's history of promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory and making racially charged comments drew criticism. When questioned about her acceptance of Greene's endorsement in light of these controversies, Loeffler denied any knowledge of QAnon and accused the media of distorting and fabricating events.
2020: Loeffler's Alignment with Trump During Campaign
Throughout her 2020 campaign, Loeffler maintained that she had never disagreed with President Trump. This unwavering support was evident in her responses to questions about controversial incidents involving Trump, such as the Access Hollywood tape and his downplaying of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loeffler claimed to be unfamiliar with the former and dismissed the latter as "fake news."
2020: Loeffler's Political Stances
During her time in office, Loeffler supported efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, took an anti-abortion stance, supported legislation against abortion, and donated portions of her Senate salary to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ organizations. Although initially opposed, she received endorsement from the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group, for the 2020 election.
2020: Loeffler Runs for US Senate
In 2020, Loeffler ran in the Georgia U.S. Senate special election to retain her seat.
January 1, 2021: Loeffler Misses Vote on Defense Spending Bill Due to Quarantine
On January 1, 2021, while still in quarantine following her COVID-19 diagnosis, Loeffler was unable to participate in the Senate vote to override President Trump's veto of the defense spending bill. The Senate ultimately voted to overturn the veto.
January 3, 2021: Loeffler Briefly Becomes Senior Senator
When David Perdue's Senate term ended on January 3, 2021, Loeffler briefly became the senior senator from Georgia for under three weeks until Warnock was sworn in.
January 5, 2021: Loeffler Loses Runoff Election
On January 5, 2021, Loeffler lost the runoff election for the US Senate seat in Georgia to Democrat Raphael Warnock.
January 6, 2021: Loeffler Withdraws Election Objection
Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Loeffler withdrew her objection to certifying the Electoral College results and voted for certification.
January 2021: Loeffler Changes Stance on Electoral College Vote Certification
Initially intending to object to the certification of the 2021 Electoral College vote count, Loeffler changed her stance after witnessing the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Citing the events of that day, she expressed an inability to oppose the certification in good conscience.