Kelly Loeffler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kelly Loeffler
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Official portrait, 2025
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| 28th Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |
| Assumed office February 20, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Bill Briggs (nominee) |
| Preceded by | Isabel Guzman |
| United States Senator from Georgia |
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| In office January 6, 2020 – January 20, 2021 |
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| Appointed by | Brian Kemp |
| Preceded by | Johnny Isakson |
| Succeeded by | Raphael Warnock |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kelly Lynn Loeffler
November 27, 1970 Bloomington, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Jeffrey Sprecher
(m. 2004) |
| Education | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BS) DePaul University (MBA) |
Kelly Lynn Loeffler (born November 27, 1970) is an American businesswoman and politician. She is currently the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA), starting on February 20, 2025. Before this, she was a U.S. Senator for Georgia from 2020 to 2021.
She was also a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, a professional basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Kelly Loeffler is a member of the Republican Party.
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Early Life and Education
Kelly Loeffler was born in Bloomington, Illinois. She grew up on her family's farm in Stanford, Illinois, where they grew corn and soybeans. She has one brother, Brian.
In 1988, she finished high school at Olympia High School. There, she was part of the marching band. She also ran cross country and track, and played basketball.
In 1992, Kelly Loeffler earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. She got this degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. After college, she worked for Toyota. In 1999, she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. This advanced degree focused on international finance and marketing. She received it from DePaul University.
Early Career and Business Life
After getting her MBA, Kelly Loeffler worked for several companies. These included Citibank and William Blair & Company. In 2002, she joined a company called Intercontinental Exchange. She later married the CEO of this company, Jeffrey Sprecher.
In 2018, she became the chief executive officer (CEO) of Bakkt. This was a smaller company that was part of Intercontinental Exchange.
Owning the Atlanta Dream
In 2011, Kelly Loeffler and Mary Brock bought the Atlanta Dream. This is a team in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). While she owned the team, she was very involved. She attended all the games and many team meetings. In February 2021, Kelly Loeffler sold her share of the team.
Political Donations
Kelly Loeffler and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, have given money to political groups. As of December 2019, they had donated $3.2 million. Most of this money (97%) went to the Republicans. A smaller part (3%) went to the Democrats.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
How She Became a Senator
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On August 28, 2019, Georgia's Senator, Johnny Isakson, announced he would leave his job. He resigned because of his health. Georgia law said that Governor Brian Kemp had to choose someone to finish Isakson's term. Governor Kemp chose Kelly Loeffler.
On January 6, 2020, Kelly Loeffler officially became a Senator. She was the second woman ever to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.
Her Political Views
Kelly Loeffler said she was a very conservative Republican in the Senate. She often supported President Trump's ideas. During her time as a Senator, she introduced 57 new bills. She also supported 210 other bills that other Senators introduced. She voted the same way President Trump wanted 80% of the time.
Senate Committees
As a Senator, Kelly Loeffler worked on several important committees. These groups study different topics and help create laws.
- Committee on Health Education Labor & Pensions
- Joint Economic Committee
- Committee on Veterans Affairs
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
2020–21 Senate Election
Kelly Loeffler ran in a special election to keep her Senate seat for two more years. In Georgia, all candidates, no matter their political party, run in one big election first.
No candidate won more than 50% of the votes. So, Kelly Loeffler, who came in second, went into a second election. This was called a runoff election. It happened on January 5, 2021. She ran against the Democratic candidate, Raphael Warnock.
The Democrats won both Senate seats in Georgia that year. This meant the Senate was split 50-50 between the two main parties. When there is a tie, the Vice President gets to cast the deciding vote. At that time, Kamala Harris, a Democrat, became Vice President.
Greater Georgia Organization
After the special election, Kelly Loeffler started an organization called Greater Georgia. This group aims to help more people in Georgia register to vote. Their goal is to involve communities that feel left out of politics. They also want to make sure people trust the election process. Kelly Loeffler personally put at least $1 million into this organization.
Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2025–present)
Becoming the SBA Administrator
On December 5, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his choice for the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA). He chose Kelly Loeffler for this job. The SBA helps small businesses grow and succeed.
She had a meeting with the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on January 29, 2025. This committee voted 12 to 7 to approve her nomination on February 5. On February 19, the full Senate voted 52 to 46 to confirm her. This means she officially got the job.
Personal Life
Kelly Loeffler is a Roman Catholic.
In 2004, she married Jeffrey Sprecher. He is the person who started Intercontinental Exchange. He is also the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. They live in Tuxedo Park, Atlanta. They also own several other homes.
Kelly Loeffler Quotes
- "I will always fight for the unborn, and I will always stand up against the radical left and the cancel culture."
- "I condemn violence no matter where it shows up or who the source is."
- "Civics curriculum is an important part of an education that prepares students for lives of leadership and service."
- "Schools fail to serve the best interest of their students when they promote a political agenda and push them into partisan activism rather than academic success."
Interesting Facts About Kelly Loeffler
- She has an MBA, which is a Master of Business Administration degree.
- She has experience trading in the stock market.
- She used to be a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA team.
- She has spoken out against defunding the police and racism.
- In 2014, she thought about running for a U.S. Senate seat but decided not to.
See also
In Spanish: Kelly Loeffler para niños
- Women in conservatism in the United States
- Women in the United States Senate
