Amy McGrath facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Amy McGrath
McGrath in 2019
Personal details
Born	(1975-06-03) June 3, 1975 (age 50) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (2017–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (before 2017)
Spouse	Erik Henderson (m. 2009)
Children	3
Education	United States Naval Academy (BS) Georgetown University (GradCert) Johns Hopkins University (MA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1997–2017
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Battles/wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal (8) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Complete list of decorations

Amy Melinda McGrath (born June 3, 1975) is an American who used to be a Marine fighter pilot. She also ran for political office in Kentucky.

McGrath made history as the first woman to fly a combat mission for the Marine Corps. She was also the first woman to pilot the F/A-18 jet in a combat mission. During her 20 years in the Marine Corps, McGrath flew 89 combat missions. She flew against groups like al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Later in her service, McGrath worked as a political advisor and instructor. She taught at the United States Naval Academy.

After leaving the military in 2017, McGrath started a career in politics. She ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2018 as a Democrat. She lost to Andy Barr. In 2019, she announced she would run for the United States Senate in 2020. She challenged Senator Mitch McConnell. McGrath won the Democratic primary election. She raised more money than McConnell, but she lost the general election.

Early Life and Education

Amy McGrath was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She grew up in Edgewood, Kentucky. She was the youngest of three children. Her father was a high school teacher. Her mother was a psychiatrist. She was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky's medical school.

McGrath finished high school in 1993 at Notre Dame Academy. She played soccer, basketball, and baseball. In her last year, she was chosen to attend the United States Naval Academy. This was the same year that a rule was changed. This rule used to stop women from becoming fighter pilots.

In 1997, McGrath graduated from the Naval Academy. She earned a degree in political science. While there, she was involved in a foreign affairs conference. She was also on the Academy's first women's soccer team.

Later, McGrath continued her education. She earned a certificate from Georgetown University in 2011. In 2014, she earned a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. Her studies focused on international and global security.

Military Career

Training and First Missions (1997–2002)

After graduating from the Naval Academy, Amy McGrath joined the Marine Corps. She was 21 years old. In 1999, she finished flight school. She began her career as a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO). This role involves helping to coordinate weapons. She was assigned to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121. McGrath and another pilot, Jaden Kim, were the first female aviators in this squadron.

Flying Overseas (2002–2011)

In March 2002, McGrath was sent to Kyrgyzstan. She flew 51 combat missions in an F/A-18D jet. These missions were part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. She was the first woman to fly a combat mission for the United States Marine Corps. In January 2003, she was in Kuwait. She flew missions to support ground troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. She helped with air support and reconnaissance.

After being promoted, McGrath became a pilot in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, she went on a second tour in Afghanistan. She became the first woman to fly an F/A-18 in combat for the U.S. Marine Corps. She was promoted again in 2007. From 2007 to 2009, she was sent to East Asia. In 2010, she served a second tour in Afghanistan.

During her military career, McGrath flew over 2,000 hours. She completed more than 85 combat missions. She also took part in training exercises in several countries.

Back in the United States (2011–2017)

In 2011, McGrath returned to the United States. She worked for a year as an advisor for Representative Susan Davis. She advised on defense and foreign affairs.

From 2012 to 2014, McGrath worked at the Headquarters Marine Corps. She was a liaison between the Marine Corps and the Department of State.

From 2014 to 2017, McGrath taught at the United States Naval Academy. She was a senior instructor in political science.

McGrath retired from the military on June 1, 2017. She had served for 20 years and held the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Running for Office

2018 House Campaign

On August 1, 2017, McGrath announced she was running for the United States House of Representatives. She ran as a Democrat in Kentucky against Andy Barr. Her announcement video got a lot of attention.

McGrath wanted to represent all voters, including those in rural areas. She opened offices in less populated parts of Kentucky. She won the Democratic primary election on May 22, 2018. She defeated Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington.

In the November 2018 election, McGrath lost to Barr. He received 51% of the votes, and McGrath received 47.8%.

2020 Senate Campaign

Amy McGrath speaks with supporters during a campaign event in 2019.

On July 9, 2019, McGrath announced she was running for the United States Senate in Kentucky. She challenged the current Senator, Mitch McConnell. McGrath raised a lot of money for her campaign. She said that McConnell had made Washington a place of "dysfunction and chaos."

McGrath supported Joe Biden for president in 2020.

McGrath won the Democratic nomination for the Senate. She received 45% of the primary votes. Other candidates, like Charles Booker, also ran. Both Booker and Mike Broihier, another candidate, later supported McGrath.

In September, Kentucky's governor, Andy Beshear, supported McGrath. The Kentucky Education Association, a large teachers' union, also endorsed her.

In September, McGrath shared a five-point plan for Kentucky. It included ideas for dealing with COVID-19, healthcare, and racial equality. On October 12, McGrath and McConnell had a debate. McGrath criticized McConnell's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On November 3, McGrath lost to McConnell. He won by almost 20 percentage points.

Political Ideas

Amy McGrath describes herself as a moderate Democrat. She believes in being careful with government spending. Some news outlets have said she is too conservative. McGrath has stated she wants to do what is best for Kentucky. She says she will support good ideas, no matter which political party they come from.

Healthcare

McGrath supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She wants to keep and improve it. She believes the healthcare system is complex. She supports a public option for health insurance. This is similar to the plan offered to military veterans. She also thinks people over 55 should be able to join Medicare. McGrath does not support "Medicare for All." She prefers to improve the ACA and keep private health insurance options.

Economy

McGrath did not support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. She wanted to make the tax cuts for middle-class families permanent.

She supports investing in roads, bridges, and internet in eastern Kentucky. This would help the economy as the coal industry changes. She thinks high-speed internet is very important for rural areas.

Environment

McGrath believes climate change harms the environment and the economy. She also sees it as a national security issue. She says the military is already preparing for changes caused by climate change. However, she promises to support plans that also protect jobs.

Guns

McGrath supports the 2nd Amendment and the right to own guns. She says she carried a gun during her combat missions. She wants stronger background checks for gun sales. She also supports stopping sales to people on terror watch lists. She believes in more research on gun violence.

Race Relations

McGrath supports changes to policing. She wants federal money for body cameras for police officers. She also wants independent investigations for police shootings. She supports creating a national database of officers fired for bad behavior. She has called for more details to be released about the Breonna Taylor case. She wants to address systemic racism in the U.S.

Immigration

McGrath wants to update immigration laws. She does not support building a wall along the entire U.S. border with Mexico. She thinks it would be too expensive and not effective. She believes better technology, like drones, could secure the border. She is willing to find common ground on immigration issues. She does not support getting rid of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

Other Domestic Issues

McGrath does not support free college tuition paid by the government. She also does not support reducing funding for the police.

McGrath supports term limits for politicians. She strongly supports a limit of two terms for senators.

Foreign Policy

In 2016, McGrath wrote an article for Foreign Policy magazine. She called for a full investigation into the decisions that led to the Iraq War. She compared it to the detailed investigation of the 2012 Benghazi attack. She noted that the Iraq War caused many more deaths and cost much more money, but had no similar investigation.

McGrath has said that a major concern for national security is the threat of a nuclear device in the hands of dangerous groups. She believes the U.S. must work hard to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the world.

Personal Life

Amy McGrath was inspired to become a military aviator when she was young. She visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force. When she was 12, she wrote to her representative and both of her senators. She asked why women could not be fighter pilots. Only Rep. Pat Schroeder wrote back, encouraging her.

In 2009, McGrath married Erik Henderson, who was also in the Navy. They have three children. Her husband is a Republican. The family lives in Georgetown, Kentucky.

In April 2017, McGrath's father passed away from cancer.

Honors and Awards

McGrath has received several awards for her service.

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Air Medal	Received eight times
	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
	Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Iraq Campaign Medal
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal