Senator Mitch McConnell

In my career coaching advice to my two young adult kids, I have always encouraged them to seek out mentors who can provide wise counsel about the work, the organization, the culture of the organization, and what is required to excel in the organization. I have cautioned them that a good mentor may not necessarily be someone that they would value or seek out to be their best friend or next-door neighbor. I have advised them to treasure a mentor who is candid in sharing with them what they need to hear which may at times be uncomfortable to hear. I remember very well my first boss taking me to meet his haberdasher at a local men’s clothing store. The experience was a bit humbling, but in retrospect it was a very important introduction as I had little understanding of how a professional man should select formal business attire. In fact, I was clueless! I am confident that this “education” was an important value add for my career. So why am I introducing a blog on Senator Mitch McConnell with a story on mentorship? Let me do my best to make sense of this in the narrative below.

One of the Republican Candidates for the Kentucky 2026 Republican nomination for United States Senator has chosen to “make a meal” out of attacking Mr. McConnell and his record as a United States Senator. I will let Republican primary voters decide if this is a winning strategy.  I have met Mr. McConnell several times on social occasions. The interactions were always cordial but largely terse as the Senator is not known for his personal warmth. This absence of personal warmth and charisma, such as the warmth and charisma exhibited by politicians such as Presidents Reagan and Clinton, may very well have diminished the credit Mr. McConnell received for his legislative accomplishments in the U.S. Senate and increased the criticism he has received for other legislation and positions he has taken which were unpopular with many Republicans and conservatives.

With all that said, I thought it appropriate to share a few thoughts on Mr. McConnell since many young voters are likely unfamiliar with his career in elective office. Whether my comments please Mr. McConnell or his critics is irrelevant to me. But just as I have counseled my young adult kids regarding the key qualifications for mentors, I believe it is important to focus more on the substance of Mr. McConnell’s political career and less on his personal attributes.

I first became aware of Mr. McConnell back in 1977 when he was elected Jefferson County Kentucky Judge Executive in an upset win over the two term Democratic incumbent. Any Republican winning elective office in Jefferson County is a rare occurrence and a notable accomplishment. Mr. McConnell’s campaign seemed to hit full stride and connect with voters through a TV campaign ad featuring a farmer shoveling out the “contents” in his horse barn with the admonition that the contents in the horse barn were what the incumbent County Judge Executive had been producing during his time in office! Mr. McConnel’s tenure as County Judge Executive was largely successful and responded especially well to several severe winter weather storms. Fast forward to 1984 when Mr. McConnell defeated the incumbent United States Senator in what was termed a major upset. Once again, Mr. McConnell hit pay dirt with a TV campaign ad. This ad featured a group of blood hounds scouring the countryside in search of his incumbent opponent who was alleged to be chronically absent in his attendance as a United States Senator!

Mr. McConnell has gone on to be elected a total of a record 6 times as a United States Senator from Kentucky. His seniority in the U.S. Senate has benefited Kentucky in several ways. For example, he championed legislation which compensated Kentucky tobacco farmers for the discontinuation of the price support system for Kentucky grown tobacco. He has been an effective legislative advocate for the health care, bourbon, and horse racing industries in Kentucky. He also sponsored legislation which provided important funding for the development of the Parklands Park system in Jefferson County. On the national level, he has been a supporter of a strong national defense, tax reduction, regulatory reform, and modifications to the U.S. Senate Filibuster rules which paved the way for the successful confirmation of 3 conservative nominees of President Donald Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On the flip side, Mr. McConnell has disappointed many Republicans and conservatives with his support of the Biden Administration’s Chips and Science Act in 2022. This legislation was designed to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. But it also increased the federal deficit and federal regulatory involvement in private businesses. While not well publicized, the legislation also imposed burdensome DEI initiatives on companies receiving funding from the legislation. Mr. McConnell has also been at odds with President Trump.  First, with his criticism of the events associated with January 6, 2021, as well as his opposition to several of President Trump’s recent cabinet nominations and tariffs. Mr. McConnell has also alarmed both supporters and critics with events associated with his physical and mental health. He sustained injuries in two different falls, and on two occasions completely lost his train of thought and froze in a public speech. He no longer ran point on national television news as a principal advocate and spokesman for Republican legislative initiatives.

Mr. McConnell stepped down as Republican Senate leader for the new Congressional term beginning in January 2025 and announced in February 2025 that he would not seek a seventh term as a United States Senator from Kentucky. To be sure, many Republicans and conservatives deemed these actions as being long overdue.

God bless you and thank you for the privilege of your time in reading my blog.