Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Mitch McConnell

How Mitch McConnell built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Addison Mitchell McConnell III is a prominent American politician and attorney currently serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a position he has held since 1985. He is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky's history. McConnell's influence extends to his leadership within the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 to 2025, including terms as both minority and majority leader. Notably, he holds the record as the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, having served as majority leader from 2015 to 2021.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1937: Barkley Became Senate Party Leader

In 1937, Alben W. Barkley led the Democrats in the Senate.

1938: Lowest Voter Support Since 1938

In 2014, McConnell faced Matt Bevin in the Republican primary, where McConnell's 60.2% victory represented the lowest voter support for a Kentucky U.S. senator in a primary since 1938.

1949: Barkley stepped down as Senate Party Leader

In 1949, Alben W. Barkley stepped down as the Democrats party leader in the Senate.

1964: McConnell Interns with Senator John Sherman Cooper

In 1964, at the age of 22, Mitch McConnell attended civil rights rallies and interned with Senator John Sherman Cooper.

1968: McConnell Works for Senator Marlow Cook

In 1968, Mitch McConnell worked as chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook in Washington, D.C.

1968: First Republican win in Kentucky since 1968

McConnell was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Kentucky since 1968. His win benefited from the popularity of President Ronald Reagan.

1970: McConnell Ends Role as Legislative Assistant

In 1970, Mitch McConnell concluded his role as chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook in Washington, D.C.

1971: McConnell Returns to Louisville

In 1971, Mitch McConnell returned to Louisville and worked on Tom Emberton's unsuccessful campaign for governor of Kentucky.

October 1974: McConnell Becomes Deputy Assistant Attorney General

In October 1974, Mitch McConnell returned to Washington to fill a position as Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Ford.

1975: McConnell Serves as Acting Assistant Attorney General

In 1975, Mitch McConnell served as acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs under President Ford.

1977: McConnell Elected Jefferson County Judge/Executive

In 1977, Mitch McConnell was elected the Jefferson County judge/executive, defeating incumbent Democrat Todd Hollenbach III.

1981: McConnell Reelected Jefferson County Judge/Executive

In 1981, Mitch McConnell was reelected as the Jefferson County judge/executive, defeating Jim "Pop" Malone.

1984: McConnell wins U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky

In 1984, McConnell won the U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky against incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston by a narrow margin of 0.4%.

1984: McConnell Elected to U.S. Senate

In 1984, Mitch McConnell was elected to the U.S. Senate.

1985: McConnell Becomes Senator

In 1985, Mitch McConnell became the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since.

1990: McConnell wins Senate race against Harvey I. Sloane

In 1990, McConnell won against former Louisville Mayor Harvey I. Sloane by 4.4%.

1990: Closest Contest Since 1990

In 2008, Mitch McConnell's contest against Bruce Lunsford was his closest since 1990.

1996: McConnell defeats Steve Beshear

In 1996, McConnell defeated Steve Beshear by 12.6%, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state. McConnell's campaign used television ads warning voters to not "Get BeSheared".

1997: McConnell founds the James Madison Center for Free Speech

In 1997, McConnell founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a legal-defense organization based in Washington, D.C.

1997: McConnell Chairs NRSC

In 1997, Mitch McConnell chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

February 12, 1999: McConnell Votes on Clinton Impeachment

On February 12, 1999, Mitch McConnell was one of 50 senators to vote to convict and remove Bill Clinton from office.

2001: End of McConnell's NRSC Chairmanship

In 2001, Mitch McConnell's chairmanship of the National Republican Senatorial Committee ended.

2002: McConnell defeats Lois Combs Weinberg

In 2002, after running unopposed in the Republican primary, McConnell defeated Lois Combs Weinberg by 29.4%.

2004: Bush Reelection

In 2004, George W. Bush won reelection. McConnell learned that obstruction and Republican unity were the optimal ways to ensure Republican gains in upcoming elections after he observed how Democratic cooperation with the Bush administration on No Child Left Behind and Medicare Part D helped Bush's 2004 reelection.

2006: McConnell Elected Minority Leader

In 2006, after Republicans lost control of the Senate, they elected Mitch McConnell minority leader.

2007: McConnell publicly supported the Iraq War troop surge

In 2007, McConnell publicly supported the Iraq War troop surge.

2007: McConnell Becomes Senate Leader

In 2007, Mitch McConnell began serving as the leader of the Senate Republican Conference, including two stints as minority leader.

2008: McConnell defeats Bruce Lunsford

In 2008, McConnell faced his closest contest since 1990, defeating Bruce Lunsford by 6%.

June 2009: McConnell on Sotomayor Nomination

In June 2009, after Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor as associate justice, Mitch McConnell and Jeff Sessions opined that Sotomayor's 17 years as a federal judge and over 3,600 judicial opinions would require lengthy review and advocated against Democrats hastening the confirmation process.

May 2010: McConnell on Kagan Nomination

In May 2010, after President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to succeed the retiring John Paul Stevens, Mitch McConnell expressed concerns about her independence from the White House and announced his opposition to her confirmation, citing her lack of forthrightness on constitutional law views.

October 2010: McConnell's Goal: One-Term Obama Presidency

In October 2010, Mitch McConnell stated that his "single most important thing" was for President Obama to be a one-term president.

2010: Congress Bans Earmarks

In 2010, Congress banned the practice of earmarks, which Mitch McConnell regularly obtained for businesses and institutions in Kentucky.

2010: Supreme Court partially overturns Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

In 2010, the Supreme Court made a ruling that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold), following McConnell's opposition to stricter campaign finance laws.

2010: Citizens United v. FEC Decision

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in Citizens United v. FEC, partially overturning the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold). Mitch McConnell led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws, which culminated in this decision.

2011: Debt-Ceiling Crisis

In 2011, Mitch McConnell learned from the debt-ceiling crisis that "it's a hostage that's worth ransoming".

2013: Reid Eliminates Filibuster

In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid eliminated the filibuster for all presidential nominations except the Supreme Court.

2013: Federal Government Shutdown

In 2013, the federal government shut down from October 1–17 after Congress failed to enact legislation to fund it.

2014: McConnell Becomes Senate Majority Leader

After Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections, Mitch McConnell became the Senate majority leader.

2014: McConnell defeats Alison Lundergan Grimes

In 2014, McConnell defeated Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election, 56.2–40.7%.

2014: McConnell Vows No Debt Default or Shutdown

In 2014, Mitch McConnell vowed that Republicans would not force the U.S. to default on its debt or shut down the government when stopgap funding measures were set to expire, and that he would not allow other Republicans to obstruct the budget-making process.

2014: Republicans Gain Senate Control; McConnell Becomes Majority Leader

In 2014, Republicans gained control of the Senate, and Mitch McConnell became majority leader. He then began what was considered "a near blockade" of Obama's judicial appointments.

2015: McConnell Becomes Senate Majority Leader

In 2015, Mitch McConnell became the Senate majority leader.

February 13, 2016: McConnell Blocks Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

On February 13, 2016, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate would not consider any Supreme Court nominee put forth by President Obama, arguing that the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice.

March 16, 2016: Obama Nominates Merrick Garland to Supreme Court

On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Under Mitch McConnell's direction, Senate Republicans refused to take any action on the nomination.

May 4, 2016: McConnell Endorses Donald Trump

On May 4, 2016, after Rand Paul withdrew from the presidential race, Mitch McConnell endorsed Donald Trump as the presumptive nominee.

August 2016: McConnell Comments on Blocking Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

In August 2016, Mitch McConnell said that one of his proudest moments was when he told Barack Obama that he would not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

January 3, 2017: Garland's Nomination Expires

On January 3, 2017, Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court expired with the end of the 114th Congress, due to the Senate's inaction under Mitch McConnell's direction.

January 2017: Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch

In January 2017, President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left after Scalia's death.

April 7, 2017: Gorsuch Confirmed After Filibuster Eliminated

On April 7, 2017, Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court was confirmed after Mitch McConnell eliminated the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees.

April 2017: Republicans Eliminate Filibuster for Supreme Court Nominations

In April 2017, Senate Republicans led by Mitch McConnell eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to end debate on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch.

October 2017: McConnell Defends Record Amid Criticism from Trump Allies

In October 2017, after White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and other Trump allies blamed McConnell for stalling the Trump administration's legislation, McConnell defended his record by citing Neil Gorsuch's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed

In 2017, McConnell led the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as Senate majority leader.

2017: Republicans Fail to Repeal Obamacare

In 2017, Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) during consolidated Republican control of government, dimming Mitch McConnell's reputation as a skilled political strategist.

2017: Record Circuit Court Judges Confirmed

In 2017, the record for the number of circuit court judges confirmed during a president's first year was broken.

April 2018: McConnell Calls Garland Nomination Decision Most Consequential

In April 2018, Mitch McConnell stated that the decision not to act on Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court was "the most consequential decision I've made in my entire public career".

June 2018: McConnell Longest-Serving Senate Republican Leader

In June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in U.S. history.

July 2018: Trump Nominates Kavanaugh to Supreme Court

In July 2018, Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Anthony Kennedy as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

July 2018: McConnell delays border wall funding until after midterms

In July 2018, Mitch McConnell stated that funding for the Mexico–United States border wall would likely be delayed until after the midterm elections.

July 18, 2018: Senate Republicans Break Appeals Court Confirmation Record

On July 18, 2018, with Andy Oldham's Senate confirmation, Senate Republicans broke a record for the largest number of appeals court judiciary confirmations during a president's first two years. Oldham became the 23rd appeals court judge confirmed in Trump's term.

September 2018: Ford Accuses Kavanaugh of Sexual Assault

In September 2018, Christine Blasey Ford publicly alleged that Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in 1982, leading to increased scrutiny of Kavanaugh's nomination. McConnell accused Democrats of creating an "extreme" distortion of Kavanaugh's record during his hearings.

October 2018: McConnell on Supreme Court Vacancy

In October 2018, Mitch McConnell stated that if a Supreme Court vacancy were to occur in 2020, he would not repeat his 2016 decision to let the winner of the upcoming presidential election nominate a justice, arguing that the 2016 precedent was not applicable because Republicans controlled both the presidency and the Senate in 2020.

December 2018: Senate passes appropriations bill without wall funding

In December 2018, the Republican-controlled Senate passed an appropriations bill without funding for the border wall. Despite this, Donald Trump ultimately refused to sign any bill that did not include wall funding, leading to a government shutdown.

December 22, 2018: Government shutdown begins due to border wall funding dispute

On December 22, 2018, the federal government entered a shutdown because Congress did not agree to Donald Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in federal funds for a U.S.–Mexico border wall.

2018: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act passed

In 2018, McConnell led the passing of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act as Senate majority leader.

January 25, 2019: Government shutdown concludes

On January 25, 2019, the federal government shutdown, which began on December 22, 2018, due to disagreements over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, came to an end.

May 2019: McConnell votes to confirm brother-in-law to PBGC

In May 2019, McConnell voted to confirm his brother-in-law, Gordon Hartogensis, as director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

August 2019: McConnell Opposes Elimination of Filibuster

In August 2019, Mitch McConnell wrote an editorial for The New York Times strongly opposing the elimination of the filibuster on legislation.

November 5, 2019: McConnell Comments on Trump Impeachment Trial

On November 5, 2019, as the House of Representatives began public hearings on the impeachment of President Trump, Mitch McConnell stated that he was fairly certain how an impeachment trial would likely end, indicating it would not lead to Trump's removal from office.

December 14, 2019: McConnell Discusses Trump's Impeachment Trial Strategy

On December 14, 2019, Mitch McConnell met with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland. Later that day, he stated that he would be in "total coordination with the White House counsel's office" for Trump's impeachment trial and that there was "no chance" the Senate would convict Trump and remove him from office.

December 17, 2019: McConnell Rejects Witnesses for Trump's Impeachment Trial

On December 17, 2019, Mitch McConnell rejected a request to call four witnesses for Donald Trump's impeachment trial, stating that the Senate's role was to act as judge and jury, not to investigate. He also told the media he was not an impartial juror, calling it a political process.

2019: McConnell withholds votes on House Democrat measures

In 2019, Nancy Pelosi criticized McConnell for withholding votes on measures passed by the Democratic-controlled House during his time as Senate majority leader, including the For the People Act of 2019, the Equality Act, and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

2019: McConnell Credits Himself for Judicial Vacancies

In a 2019 interview, Mitch McConnell credited himself for the large number of judicial vacancies created in the last two years of Barack Obama's presidency.

March 2020: McConnell Encourages Judges to Retire

By March 2020, Mitch McConnell had contacted an unknown number of judges, encouraging them to retire before the 2020 election.

April 22, 2020: McConnell suggests states declare bankruptcy instead of receiving COVID-19 aid

On April 22, 2020, during a radio show, McConnell suggested that states should be able to declare bankruptcy instead of receiving additional COVID-19 aid. His comments were criticized by state and local officials.

September 10, 2020: COVID-19 relief bill fails in the Senate

On September 10, 2020, a COVID-19 relief bill crafted by McConnell failed to pass the Senate due to a Democratic filibuster. Democrats deemed the bill inadequate, while McConnell defended it as a compromise.

September 2020: McConnell Announces Senate Vote on Ginsburg Replacement

In September 2020, after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate would vote on Donald Trump's nominated replacement, setting the stage for a contentious confirmation process.

November 2020: McConnell re-elected to seventh term

In November 2020, McConnell was elected to his seventh term, defeating Amy McGrath by nearly 20 percentage points.

2020: McConnell directs COVID-19 response packages

In 2020, McConnell directed Senate Republicans in negotiations for two COVID-19 response packages: the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 and the CARES Act. The CARES Act was the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history.

2020: McConnell Criticizes Trump's Attempts to Overturn Election

In 2020, Mitch McConnell criticized Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the presidential election.

2020: McConnell Refuses to Recognize Biden's Victory Initially

In 2020, after Joe Biden defeated Trump in the election, McConnell initially refused to recognize Biden as the winner. While not repeating Trump's voter fraud claims, McConnell argued that Trump had the right to challenge the results and celebrated Republican Senate and House race wins.

January 12, 2021: Reported Support for Trump Impeachment

On January 12, 2021, it was reported that Mitch McConnell supported impeaching Donald Trump for his role in inciting the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, believing it would help Republicans purge the party of Trump.

February 13, 2021: McConnell Votes to Acquit Trump

On February 13, 2021, Mitch McConnell voted to acquit Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, stating it was unconstitutional to convict a president who was no longer in office.

May 28, 2021: McConnell Votes Against Independent Commission for January 6 Attack

On May 28, 2021, Mitch McConnell voted against the creation of an independent commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack, after seeking to organize Republican senators to filibuster it.

October 2021: McConnell Helps Pass Debt Ceiling Extension

In October 2021, Mitch McConnell helped pass a bill that extended the debt ceiling, convincing 11 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to avoid a United States default on its debts.

2021: McConnell Becomes Senate Minority Leader

In 2021, Mitch McConnell served as Senate Minority Leader.

February 28, 2024: McConnell Announces Resignation as Senate Leader

On February 28, 2024, Mitch McConnell announced that he would step down as the Senate Republican Conference Leader in January 2025, but would serve the remainder of his Senate term.

2024: McConnell Steps Down as Senate Republican Leader

In 2024, Mitch McConnell stepped down as Senate Republican leader, months before the United States elections. John Thune was elected to succeed him after Republicans regained the majority in the 2024 U.S. Senate elections.