Erik Henderson Was A Navy Pilot & Served In Afghanistan
Amy McGrath
Like his wife, Erik Henderson is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. According to his , Henderson served as a Personnel Recovery Officer at NATO Air Training Command in 2010 and 2011.
His responsibilities included coordinating missions to recover US military forces that had been taken prisoner or gone missing. Henderson also recruited and trained Afghan National forces.
Earlier in his career, Henderson spent time as a helicopter pilot in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He was stationed there from 1999 through 2003. He then served as a T-34C Instructor Pilot in Corpus Chirsti, Texas until 2006. Hendersons next move was to New Orleans, where he was a C-130T Pilot with Fleet Logistics Squadron Five-Four.
McGrath of the two of them wearing their military fatigues. The picture isnt dated, but she shared it in January 2019 to mark National Spouses Day.
On Her Areas Of Agreement With President Trump
McGrath has faced criticism, especially from the left, for promoting her alignment with President Trump on certain issues. Early in her campaign, it led to some calling her a âTrump Democrat.â Asked if that is an accurate characterization of her as a candidate, McGrath said âI put my country ahead of my political party.â
She said she agrees with Trump on instituting Congressional term limits, passing infrastructure legislation, and lowering the price of prescription drugs. âItâs not about wearing a red jersey or a blue jersey,â she said. âLetâs get people in office who are going to do whatâs right for Kentucky and do what people need. Thatâs what Iâm all about.â
On Her Catholic Faith
An Irish Catholic, McGrath grew up attending Catholic schools in Northern Kentucky and told Moody that her faith pushes her to work for âsocial justice.â
âItâs about making sure that we donât forget about the people who are left behind,â she said. âThings like the dignity of work â making sure that if you work, you should be able to have a wage that you could put food on the table and live a good life. Making sure that healthcare is a priority. Making sure that we take care of the environment. Workers rights. Making sure that we try to tackle poverty and take care of the least among us. Thatâs what my faith has taught us.â
Don’t Miss: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans
Erik Henderson Is A Lifelong Republican But Served As The Treasurer For His Wifes First Congressional Campaign
Went to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory yesterday where they were celebrating St. BATricks Day weekend. Got to hold Johnny Benchs old bat. That was super cool.
Amy McGrath
Erik Henderson is a registered Republican. The New York Times reported in May 2018 that Henderson has been a Republican since he was 18 years old.
McGrath mentioned her husbands choice of a political party in an interview with the State Journal. When asked why she chose to run for office, she answered that she wanted to help bridge societys divisions:
I think it was the combination of the 2016 election cycle, the fake news, the divisiveness, the labeling of each other. My husbands a lifelong Republican. Im a Democrat. Thats America. And I was so saddened to see the country so divided. I just felt like we need better leaders, because it does start at the top. It starts with people who need to put partisanship aside and make our government and our system work. And I just wasnt seeing that happen.
In 2018, Henderson didnt have the option to vote for his wife as she fought to become the Democratic nominee for Kentuckys 6th congressional district. The state has closed primaries, meaning only registered Democrats could participate.
However, Henderson was an active member of McGraths campaign. According to the Federal Election Commission, Henderson served as the Treasurer.
Erik Henderson Moved Up The Ranks In The Navy & Became A Lieutenant Commander
Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband, Erik. It’s been an incredible ride so far. Here’s to more years of joy!
Amy McGrath
Erik Henderson moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 2009, the same year he and Amy McGrath got married. He was a C-12B pilot and Assistant Operations Officer at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, according to his profile.
Henderson continued to receive promotions during his time in the nations capital. His other titles included Department Head for Manpower and Reserve Pay Naval Operational Support Command, Assistant Officer for Plans and Policy in the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, and Department Head for Administration.
Henderson has now retired from the service, but his Linkedin profile doesnt reflect that yet. He described himself as a transitioning Naval Aviator with 20 years of flying experience looking to move into the aviation or business sector.
Also Check: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans
American Civil War To World War I
The Marine Corps played a small role in the their most prominent task was duty. As more and more states from the , about a third of the Corps’ officers left the United States to join the and form the , which ultimately played little part in the war. The battalion of recruits formed for the performed poorly, retreating with the rest of the Union forces. Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious operations to secure forward bases. In late November 1861, Marines and sailors landed a reconnaissance in force from at Tybee Island, Georgia, to occupy the Lighthouse and Martello Tower on the northern end of the island. It would later be the Army base for . In April and May 1862, Union Marines participated in the and the occupation of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, key events in the war that helped secure Union control of the lower basin and denied the Confederacy a major port and naval base on the .
During the , Marines led American forces ashore in the Philippines, Cuba, and , demonstrating their readiness for deployment. At , Cuba, the Marines seized an that remains in use today. Between 1899 and 1916, the Corps continued its record of participation in foreign expeditions, including the , the in China, Panama, the Cuban Pacifications, the in Morocco, , , and the in and the experiences gained in counter-insurgency and during this period were consolidated into the Small Wars Manual.
United States Air Force
While some of assets ultimately derive from the Navy, a large amount of support is drawn from the United States Air Force. The Marine Corps makes extensive use of the USAF to Marines and equipment, along with utilizing close air support from the Air Force. The Air Force may also attach units to conventional Marine ground forces to provide coordination for close air support.
The Air Force traditionally provides the who controls “sorties for air defense, and long range interdiction and reconnaissance” while the MAGTF commander retains control of the Marines’ organic aviation assets, however Marine Aviation missions not directly in the support of the MAGTF will be typically controlled by the JFACC.
Also Check: Us Congress Breakdown
Mcgrath Has Seen A Boost From Strong Fundraising
McGrath has been a powerhouse fundraiser, bringing in $88 million as of October, compared to McConnells $55 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. This funding has enabled the campaign to put out expansive advertising, highlighting McGraths biography as a Marine Corps fighter pilot and her stance as a more centrist Democrat.
As Voxs Ella Nilsen has reported, McGrath established herself as an insurgent candidate in 2018, when she won a primary for a House seat in the states Sixth District after launching a viral ad that highlighted her two decades of service in the Marine Corps. For the 2020 Senate race, Democrats saw McGraths ideological positioning and record as a veteran as key assets for taking on McConnell.
A close primary challenge from progressive state Rep. Charles Booker suggested that her more moderate approach wasnt resonating with some voters, however. And in the primary and general elections, McGraths campaign has been marred by some missteps, including muddled political stances.
In 2019, she said she would have voted to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, then quickly changed her position. And during the primary with Booker, he criticized her initial response to protests against racism and police brutality. Booker has since endorsed McGrath for the general election, and shes also released a plan focused on advancing racial justice that includes provisions aimed at closing the wealth gap between Black and white households.
Amy Mcgrath Could Take Down Mitch Mcconnell But Their Race Is More Complicated Than It Seems
Earlier this month in what will likely be their only official face-off before Election Day Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell debated key issues impacting Kentucky voters, like racial injustice and police violence, lack of federal coronavirus relief, and McConnells enduring time in office. At one point during the debate, McConnell quipped that McGraths campaign could be summarized in a single sentence: She was a marine, a mom, and hes been there too long. Shortly after the debate, the phrase popped up on stickers in McGraths merch store.
The debate marked a sort of denouement for Kentuckians: The culmination of several years’ worth of McGrath’s campaign ads, and even more years of a McConnell reign.
Democrats are working tirelessly to get Mitch McConnell out of office, but for some Kentucky voters, his Democratic opponent feels like someone selected for Kentucky and not Kentucky, given the fundraising, national endorsements, and momentum behind her campaign even before the state got a say in its own race. And now, with just weeks until voters will decide the high stakes race that will have an impact at both the national and state levels, some worry that McGrath, while better than McConnell, is still not the best choice for progressive Kentuckians.
Recommended Reading: Did Trump Call Republicans Stupid In 1998
Amy And Erik Raise Their Three Children Teddy George And Eleanor In Kentucky
Amy and Erik welcomed their three children, Teddy, George, and Eleanor, when the couple lived in Washington. The couple moved to Kentucky after they retired from their jobs in the military because Amy wanted her kids to grow up in the state where she grew up. The family currently lives in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Amy, Erik, and the kids form a tight-knit unit. McGrath uses a photo of her family having a good time as her header on and .
Early Life And Education
McGrath was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She grew up in Edgewood, Kentucky, just outside of Covington, the youngest of three children. Her father, Donald McGrath, was a high school teacher who taught in Cincinnati for 40 years. Her mother, Marianne McGrath, is a psychiatrist who was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky‘s medical school.
McGrath graduated in 1994 from Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky, where she played varsity soccer, basketball, and baseball, and was captain of the soccer team her senior year. In her senior year, she received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, the same year Congress lifted the Combat Exclusion Policy which banned women from becoming fighter pilots.
Read Also: Republicans Take Over Congress
Amy Mcgrath Captures Democratic Nomination In Kentucky In Long
Amy McGrath, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot recruited by national Democrats to mount a long-shot bid against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has prevailed in her partys Senate primary in Kentucky.
McGrath held off a late surge from Charles Booker, a state legislator who tapped into the energy of the movement for racial justice and won endorsements from several high-profile liberals on the national stage.
The race had remained too close to call on Election Day last week as many absentee ballots had yet to be counted. Booker held a narrow advantage over McGrath in a large field based on early and in-person totals released a week ago.
But McGrath made up ground as more votes were tallied, according to , and benefited from early voting. On Tuesday, Edison Research projected that McGrath would win the nomination. She had 45.4 percent of the vote compared with Bookers 42.6 percent, with more than 99 percent of precincts reporting.
In a statement Tuesday, McGrath said she was humbled to have won the Democratic nomination and said she cant wait to get started in sending into retirement and finally draining the toxic Washington political swamp that he built.
She also congratulated Booker for his very impressive result and urged party unity in seeking to oust McConnell .
McConnell, who is seeking a seventh term, easily prevailed in the Republican primary last week.
Unofficial Traditions And Customs
- : German soldiers during the First World War said that at the Marines were so vicious that the German infantrymen called them Teufel Hunden ‘devil dogs’.
- Gyrene: commonly used between fellow Marines.
- : refers to a leather collar formerly part of the Marine uniform during the Revolutionary War period.
- Jarhead has several oft-disputed explanations.
Some other unofficial traditions include mottos and exclamations:
- is common among Marines, being similar in function and purpose to the Army and Air Force’s and the Navy’s cries. Many possible have been offered for the term.
- Semper Fi is a common greeting among serving and veteran Marines.
- Improvise, Adapt and Overcome has become an adopted mantra in many units.
The Marines have historically had issues with extremism in their ranks, particularly . In 1976 the Camp Pendleton Chapter of the had over 100 members and was headed by an active duty Marine. In 1986, a number of Marines were implicated in the theft of weapons for the . The USMC, along with the rest of the military, has since made a serious effort to address extremism in the ranks.
Recommended Reading: How Many Democrats And Republicans Are In The House
Return To The United States
In 2011, McGrath returned to the United States and was assigned as a congressional fellow for Representative Susan Davis‘s office in Washington, D.C., as a defense and foreign affairs advisor for a year. Davis was chair and ranking member on the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the House Armed Services Committee.
From 2012 to 2014, McGrath worked at the Headquarters Marine Corps in The Pentagon, as a Marine Corps liaison to the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.
From 2014 to 2017, McGrath taught as a senior political science instructor at the United States Naval Academy.
After reaching her 20-year service mark, McGrath retired from the armed forces on June 1, 2017, at the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Is Amy Mcgrath Married Meet Her Husband And Children
Amy McGrath is an American politician who is currently vying for Senator of Kentucky on the Democratic Party ticket. McGrath has a mammoth task ahead of her as she is coming up against long-serving incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell. Amys failed at her first attempt at an electoral seat after losing the 2018 election for Kentuckys 6th congressional district.
McGrath announced her campaign for Kentuckys Senate seat in July 2019. She narrowly defeated state representative Charles Booker in the Democratic primaries to earn the party ticket.
This piece will look at Amy McGraths husband and children. We can confirm that Amy is married.
Read Also: Number Of Democratic Senators 2016
See Insider’s Full Guide To The Race For The Us Senate Here
Despite McConnell’s unpopularity among Democrats and her own impressive fundraising, McGrath was still considered unlikely to defeat the majority leader, who has held his Senate seat since 1986.
Not only did McConnell have a formidable track record and unparalleled stature in the state, but Kentucky didn’t trend Democratic at a rate that could put McConnell in serious danger.
The state largely doesn’t fit the demographic profile of many of the other formerly deep-red states like Arizona, Georgia, and Texas that are now trending purple thanks to sizeable blocs of college-educated voters swinging toward the Democrats.
McConnell defeated the Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes by 16 percentage points six years ago, and Trump carried the state .
How The Kentucky Primary Went From Sleepy To Competitive In A Matter Of Weeks
Until a few weeks ago, it looked like Amy McGrath was the runaway favorite in a sleepy primary race. McGrath fit the mold of middle-of-the-road, pragmatic candidates backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Democrats.
McGraths primary victory over Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in 2018 was an early sign of the key theme of the midterms that year: Moderate women candidates often overperformed the men they were competing against. Her campaign then much like todays focused on health care, jobs, and veterans issues. But while many of McGraths fellow challengers flipped their Republican districts, she ultimately lost .
McGrath was the candidate of the moment in 2018. The question is whether shes the candidate of the moment in 2020, when the country has been rocked by Covid-19 and massive protests around police brutality. The past few months have laid bare longstanding racial inequalities in jobs, policing, and health care. And Louisville has been one ofthe epicenters, amid anger over police killings of two black people EMT Breonna Taylor and barbecue restaurant owner David McAtee in the past three months.
Bookers rise is in many ways inseparable from the Kentucky protests, where hes been an active figure. McGrath was criticized for not going to protests until she attended a June 8 vigil, and for saying on television she hadnt yet gone because of family matters.
Don’t Miss: Did Trump Call Republicans Stupid In 1998
