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83-587: Republicans control neither chamber of the state legislature, no constitutional state offices, none of the state's five seats in the U.S. House, and neither of its two U.S. Senate seats. The last Republican to represent the state in the U.S. House was Chris Shays , who lost his seat in 2008 to Jim Himes . The last Republican to represent the state in the U.S. Senate was Lowell Weicker , who lost his seat in 1988 to Joe Lieberman . In Connecticut, there are Republican town committees in all 169 Connecticut municipalities. The 169 Republican town committees are affiliates of

166-518: A Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration from New York University . He lives in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, Connecticut . Shays has always remained a Christian Scientist—a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible—throughout his life. Shays married Betsi DeRaismes in 1968. They served together in

249-447: A " tomboy " playing basketball and baseball . Her parents were both employees at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , a military base. She grew up in a conservative Baptist family, but converted to Roman Catholicism in her later years. Linda M. Edwards, at the age of 13, met Vince McMahon , then age 16. Her mother worked in the same building as McMahon's mother, but they had not met. Vince's mother became good friends with

332-510: A Republican for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut . However, she still remains a minority owner of WWE. In a 1989 memo to the company's vice president, Pat Patterson , McMahon directed Patterson to fire on-call physician George Zahorian and inform him of imminent legal charges charging him with steroid distribution. Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events as

415-709: A UBS Media Conference, McMahon described the new rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans and create loyalty to the brand. Due to the TV-PG rating, chair shots to the head were banned, as well as sex scenes, blood, and vulgar language. During the 1980s, the WWF successfully overcame considerable opposition and some media ridicule in lobbying for deregulation in Connecticut , Delaware , Michigan , New Jersey , California , Florida , Pennsylvania , and Texas . By 2000, fewer than half of

498-615: A debate Shays sparked outrage from critics with comments about the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. "Now I've seen what happened in Abu Ghraib, and Abu Ghraib was not torture. It was outrageous, outrageous involvement of National Guard troops from [Maryland] who were involved in a sex ring and they took pictures of soldiers who were naked, and they did other things that were just outrageous. But it wasn't torture." Upon returning from an August 2006 Iraq trip, Shays became

581-614: A district where recent polls show a solid majority of voters disapprove of the 2003 US decision to invade Iraq. On April 10, 2003, Shays told the Connecticut Post that "'The successes to date are extraordinary. The war plan has been nearly flawless. Now we need to make sure the peace plan rises to the same level,' Shays said. 'If we are able to help them form a government quickly, we will be viewed as liberators. If we are there too long, we will be viewed basically as conquerors.'" On August 19, 2004, Shays told reporters, "We're on

664-428: A few months after starting his seventh term in the state house, Shays entered a special election for the 4th District after 16-year incumbent Stewart McKinney died of AIDS , and won with 57 percent of the vote. He won the seat in his own right in 1988 and was reelected nine times. From 1988 to 2002, Shays was reelected fairly handily, never dropping below 57 percent of the vote even as the 4th turned more Democratic at

747-545: A frequently bitter contest. At the party convention, McMahon received the most support, but Simmons received enough votes to qualify for the ballot for the August 10 primary , although he was not actively campaigning. In late July—two weeks before the primary—Simmons relaunched his campaign by airing ads on TV reminding voters that his name would be on the ballot, participating in debates, and accepting interviews with editorial boards. A third candidate, Peter Schiff , qualified for

830-468: A seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut as a Republican , but lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 general election . She was the Republican nominee for Connecticut's other Senate seat in the 2012 race , but lost to Democrat Chris Murphy . On December 7, 2016, Donald Trump ( president-elect at the time) announced that he would nominate McMahon to be administrator of

913-567: A timeline. I believe the president's wrong," said Shays. Shays' latest plan marks the first time he has specified dates. On April 13, 2008, Shays defended President Bush's Iraq policy to a town meeting in his home district, telling them, "I support the President on Iraq." Shays served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, representing part of Stamford (he has since moved to Bridgeport ). Just

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996-550: A traveling cup salesman before joining his father 's company, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). Their son Shane was born in 1970, followed by daughter Stephanie in 1976. In 1969, the McMahons moved to Gaithersburg , Maryland . McMahon worked as a receptionist at the corporate law firm of Covington & Burling ; she translated French documents, trained as a paralegal in

1079-464: A vote of 34–1 and the House by 96–45 with some opponents expressing concerns that the nature of her WWE activities would send the wrong message. State representative Bruce Morris claimed she lacked "depth of knowledge regarding education". However, state representative John Hetherington said it "would be good to have someone outside the establishment on the board". On April 1, 2010, McMahon resigned from

1162-413: Is a moderate , having voted historically more often with liberals than with conservatives , although it noted he voted with Congressional Republicans 80% of the time in 2002. Shays is labeled by his supporters as a "maverick" and "independent thinker", while conservative detractors regard him as a RINO (" Republican In Name Only "). He and Marty Meehan were the lead sponsors of the House version of

1245-603: Is an American politician, business executive, and former professional wrestling performer. She was the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. McMahon has been nominated to lead the Department of Education under the second Trump administration. McMahon, along with her husband, Vince McMahon , founded sports entertainment company Titan Sports, Inc. (later World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ) where she worked as

1328-685: Is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election." Shays is a member of or supported by the Republican Main Street Partnership , The Republican Majority for Choice , Republicans for Environmental Protection , It's My Party Too, and the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus . Shays voted in favor of the 2003 congressional resolution authorizing

1411-467: Is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him." In August 2024, he joined the "Republicans for Harris" group along with other former Republican officials in opposition to Trump. Linda McMahon Linda Marie McMahon ( / m ə k ˈ m æ n / ; née Edwards ; born October 4, 1948)

1494-483: The 2016 Republican nomination process began to gear up in early 2015, McMahon, Singer, and Charles R. Schwab were among donors and prospective-candidate representatives who attended a daylong meeting near Jackson , Wyoming , that was hosted by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts and his son Todd , and featured "several Republican donors who favor[ed] same-sex marriage and immigration reform ". After Donald Trump made an appearance at WrestleMania 23 in 2007,

1577-492: The 4th District of Connecticut . He is a member of the Republican Party . Shays was the only Republican congressman from New England elected to the 110th United States Congress in the 2006 midterm elections. His loss to Jim Himes in the 2008 election made New England's House delegation entirely Democratic in the 111th Congress . He was the most senior member of the House of Representatives to be defeated in

1660-521: The 50 states had athletic regulations on the wrestling industry. Following common practice in professional sports, WWE classifies its wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees. The classification allowed the company to avoid paying Social Security , Medicare and unemployment insurance for wrestlers. McMahon stated the WWE wrestlers had lucrative contracts, merchandising deals, royalty payments, and appearance fees. She noted that many of

1743-647: The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act , which President George W. Bush signed into law in 2002. Shays is pro-choice on abortion but voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act . Shays was endorsed by the Brady Campaign for his support for gun control and was one of only six Republicans to vote against banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors in 2005. Despite having voted in favor of

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1826-721: The Cape Cod Coliseum . He purchased the Coliseum in Massachusetts and founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980. The McMahons held small hockey and other sporting events in addition to wrestling at the Cape Cod Coliseum. At one point, Linda cooked meatball sandwiches to feed the fans at these sporting events. As the company grew, Linda assisted Vince with administration and used her knowledge of intellectual property law to assist in trademark protection for

1909-596: The Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, Shays voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in both 2004 and 2006 that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage , and co-sponsored a bill to overturn the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prohibited LGBT troops from serving openly. He was one of the few Republicans to oppose amending the Constitution to ban flag-burning. In 1999 he

1992-464: The Hollingsworth v. Perry case. He was mentioned as a potential candidate for Governor of Connecticut in 2014 , but ultimately did not enter that race. In the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Shays originally endorsed Ohio Governor John Kasich . After Donald Trump won the Republican primary, he announced in August 2016 that he would vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in

2075-804: The Peace Corps in Fiji from 1968 to 1970. They have one daughter. At the age of 29, Shays was first elected to the Connecticut House where he served from 1975 to 1987. He served simultaneously as the ranking member of both the Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Bonding. He also served as a member of the Judiciary Committee. He served six days in jail on a contempt charge when he

2158-475: The U.S. News report, Farrell says that, in 2002, Shays voted in support of Bush's post- 9/11 agenda 80% of the time, but other analyses of his voting record revealed that historically he voted more often with liberals. Despite the strong challenge from Farrell, Shays was re-elected to Congress in the 2006 election by a slim margin of 6,645 votes (3%). Shays lost Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk , Westport, and Weston to Farrell, but her margin in those communities

2241-937: The USO , the Make-A-Wish Foundation , the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation , the Starlight Foundation , and Community Mayors. In 2005, she won appointment to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America National Advisory Council and received the Arthur M. Sackler Award from the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra for WWE's support of its arts education program. On January 29, 2007, Multichannel News named McMahon to its class of "Wonder Women" for 2007. The award recognized her outstanding contributions to

2324-564: The cable and telecommunications industries . In May 2007, she appeared as the keynote speaker at the Girl Scout Council of Southwestern Connecticut 's Women of Achievement Leadership Breakfast. McMahon was a Girl Scout. Under her leadership, WWE was the recipient of the USO of Metropolitan Washington's first ever "Legacy of Hope" award for its extensive support of U.S. troops and the USO's Operation Care Package program. In 2007,

2407-567: The general election . He served as a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics in Spring 2017. He endorsed Joe Biden , for President of the United States of America in the 2020 United States elections . In 2020, Shays, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that President Trump was unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it

2490-465: The president and later CEO from 1980 to 2009. During this time, the company grew from a regional business in the northeast to a large multinational corporation . Among other things, she initiated the company's civic programs, Get R.E.A.L. and SmackDown! Your Vote . She made occasional on-screen performances, most notably in a feud with her husband that culminated at WrestleMania X-Seven . In 2009, she left World Wrestling Entertainment to run for

2573-492: The probate department, and studied intellectual property rights. Financially, the couple fared poorly for several years and, despite her husband working at a quarry , briefly received food stamps . In 1976, after a series of failed business ventures including financing stunt performer Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Jump , and while pregnant with Stephanie , McMahon and her husband filed for bankruptcy . By 1979, Vince decided to start promoting wrestling events at

Connecticut Republican Party - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-482: The storylines were in advance and watched events unfold as the general public did. Through WWE, the McMahons were major donors to The Donald J. Trump Foundation , giving $ 4 million in 2007 and $ 5 million in 2009. The McMahons donated over $ 8 million in 2008 to the Fishburne Military School , Sacred Heart University , and East Carolina University . Nonprofit Quarterly noted the majority of

2739-503: The 18-to-30 voter demographic, and made use of online marketing, public service announcements, and youth voting partnerships. The campaign, which registered 150,000 new voters during the 2000 election, was started in coalition with MTV's Choose or Lose, Project Vote Smart, and Youth Vote 2000. As of the 2008 election, it listed 14 voter registration partner organizations. During the 2008 presidential election, Smackdown your Vote! registered many voters online, often in affiliation with Rock

2822-671: The 2008 election. In 2009, Shays was appointed to co-chair the Commission on Wartime Contracting. The commission is an independent, bipartisan legislative commission established to study wartime contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Created in Section 841 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, this eight-member commission is mandated by Congress to study federal agency contracting for

2905-812: The August 14 primary to Linda McMahon . To date, he is the last Republican to have represented Connecticut in Congress. Shays was born in Stamford, Connecticut , the son of Margaret "Peggy" (née Oliver) and Thurston Crane Shays. His maternal grandmother was born in Scotland . He grew up in Darien , and graduated from Darien High School in 1964. He attended the Christian Science Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and received both

2988-617: The Connecticut Republican Party. Town committees have the ability to endorse candidates in primary elections for local office. Both of Connecticut's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 1989 . Lowell Weicker was the last Republican to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate. First elected in 1970 , Weicker lost his bid for a fourth term in 1988 to Joe Lieberman . All 5 of Connecticut's congressional districts have been held by Democrats since 2009 . The last Republican to represent Connecticut in

3071-596: The Edwards family, and Vince, who had lived with several abusive stepfathers , enjoyed the feeling of stability that he felt at their home. Edwards and McMahon dated throughout their high school years; she attended Havelock High School and he attended Fishburne Military School in Virginia. During this time, Vince was a "permanent fixture" at her home, and spent hours with Linda and her family. He attended East Carolina University , studying business administration. Edwards

3154-696: The Governor's Council for the World Special Olympics. In October 2024, McMahon was named as a defendant in a lawsuit, accusing her, her husband, and WWE of negligence with regards to the "ring boys" scandal, in which multiple WWE personnel, including ring announcer Mel Phillips and wrestlers Pat Patterson and Terry Garvin , either resigned or were dismissed in 1992 after being accused of sexually assaulting young boys; in particular, Phillips had already been dismissed in 1988 for sexual misconduct, but had been rehired several weeks afterwards under

3237-411: The House of Representatives was Chris Shays . First elected in a 1987 special election, Shays was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Jim Himes in 2008. Connecticut has not elected any GOP candidates to statewide office since 2006 , when Jodi Rell was elected to a full term as governor. First elected as lieutenant governor in 1994 , Rell assumed the position of governor in 2004 following

3320-529: The McMahons donated $ 5 million to the Donald J. Trump Foundation in addition to the payment for the appearance. In 2016, McMahon donated $ 6 million to Rebuilding America Now , a Super PAC with the purpose of electing Donald Trump as US president, and in 2015 and 2016 combined, $ 1.2 million to Future 45, a Super PAC which funded anti- Bernie Sanders advertisements. On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate McMahon to be

3403-701: The McMahons' donations were towards capital expenditures . In 2006, they paid $ 2.5 million for construction of a tennis facility in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2010, she served on the board of the Close Up Foundation , a nonprofit which offers youth field trips to Washington, D.C. McMahon became a member of the board of trustees of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut in November 2004. She supported many organizations, including

Connecticut Republican Party - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-434: The Republican nomination, campaigning on promises of lower taxes, fiscal conservatism, and job creation. She campaigned as socially moderate, and identified herself as pro-choice while also opposing partial-birth abortion and federal funding for abortions. McMahon's spending became a key argument of one of her rivals, former Congressman Rob Simmons , who accused her of "buying the election". McMahon and Simmons engaged in

3569-692: The Small Business Administration. The Senate confirmation hearing began on January 24, 2017, and on February 1, her nomination was approved by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship with an 18–1 vote and confirmed by the full Senate on February 14, by a vote of 81–19. On March 29, 2019, the Trump administration announced McMahon would step down as the administrator of the Small Business Administration to assume new responsibilities within President Trump's reelection campaign, and

3652-580: The State Board of Education, because state law does not allow board members to solicit campaign contributions. Days after her resignation, the Hartford Courant reported that McMahon had falsely filled out a questionnaire from the governor's office on which she claimed to have received a bachelor's degree in education from East Carolina University in 1969; her degree was actually in French. At

3735-578: The U.S. Senate, she became the Republican Party favorite for the 2012 election. On September 20, 2011, in Southington , Connecticut, McMahon officially announced her candidacy. On May 18, 2012, McMahon earned the endorsement of the state Republican Party at the Connecticut State Republican Convention by a delegate vote of 658 to 351 over the next-highest candidate, former congressman Chris Shays . The two were

3818-666: The Vote . The McMahons began supporting the Special Olympics in 1986. McMahon first developed an interest in the Olympics from her friendship with NBC producer Dick Ebersol and Susan Saint James , who encouraged them to participate in the mid-1980s. She met Lowell Weicker , whose son is developmentally-disabled, through the Special Olympics. In 1995, as Connecticut Governor, Weicker appointed Linda McMahon to

3901-748: The WWE, additionally citing the concurrent sex trafficking lawsuit and federal investigation against Vince and other allegations highlighted by the Netflix documentary series Mr. McMahon . McMahon was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Education by Governor Jodi Rell in January 2009. She went through a confirmation process in the Connecticut State Assembly where she was questioned on her record as CEO of WWE. The State Senate approved her nomination by

3984-471: The ballot by submitting petition signatures. McMahon defeated her opponents and faced Richard Blumenthal in the general election, losing by 11.8 percentage points. Immediately after her loss to Blumenthal, McMahon hinted she would run again for Senate in 2012. McMahon maintained a high profile following the election, running television ads, campaigning for politicians, and making frequent media appearances. When Joe Lieberman announced he would retire from

4067-643: The company received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the company received the GI Film Festival's Corporate Patriot Award. On April 13, 2012, Sacred Heart University officially dedicated and opened the Linda E. McMahon Commons Building on its main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut. McMahon launched

4150-434: The company referred to her as the "co-chief executive". McMahon became president in 1993 and CEO of the company in 1997. The company's explosive growth and the way it transformed the wrestling industry caused some observers to label her and Vince "business geniuses". One of her major interests in WWF and WWE was product merchandising . She negotiated many of the company's business deals with outside vendors and established

4233-698: The company's Get R.E.A.L. program to deliver positive messages about education to young adults. The program encouraged literacy through public service announcements , posters, and bookmarks featuring wrestling superstars. In 2000, the American Library Association reported the WWF's Know Your Role poster was its highest-selling poster for two straight months. Since 2006, thousands of posters featuring WWE superstars have been distributed to libraries and reading facilities. McMahon initiated WWE's non-partisan voter registration campaign , "SmackDown! Your Vote", in August 2000. The campaign targeted

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4316-599: The company's first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars , in 1984. It was a first in the wrestling industry and helped expand the company's popularity with children. She was also the primary negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation's 2000 TV deal with Viacom . During an interview with The Detroit News , when asked what it was like being CEO in a " testosterone -charged industry," McMahon replied, "It's lots of fun. I'm an only child, so I grew up as my father's son and mother's daughter. I

4399-506: The company. During much of those early years, she had little interest in professional wrestling. In 1982, Vince McMahon's Titan Sports, Inc. purchased Capitol Wrestling , better known as the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from his father . He later expanded his market by airing WWF shows on national television. In 1983, the McMahons moved to Greenwich , Connecticut . They have six grandchildren. Linda McMahon co-founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980. Many workers in

4482-403: The condition that he "stop chasing after kids". McMahon's possible involvement in the ring boys scandal was known prior to her tenure as Small Business Administrator; a vetting document from Trump's first transition team, leaked in 2019 and cited in the lawsuit, listed the scandal as a possible "red flag" against her. The lawsuit also alleges the McMahons fostered a culture of sexual abuse within

4565-475: The doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea. Vince agreed, and would like for you to call Zahorian and to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking. This memo became known publicly as the "Tip-Off Memo" during her campaign for Senate in 2010. It became a political liability used against her in both

4648-561: The first Congressional Republican to call for a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Shays said he was still a supporter of the war, but supported a timetable in order to "encourage some political will on the part of Iraqis". Shays has staunchly disputed media claims that he has flip-flopped his position on Iraq. "I am not distancing myself from the President," he told the Los Angeles Times on August 25, 2006. That same day, he told other reporters, "I totally support

4731-461: The former Congressman showed more electability than McMahon, due to her loss in an open Senate seat contest in 2010 by a large margin despite spending $ 50 million of her own money, also citing her high unfavorable numbers among state voters, and the weak fundraising numbers of the McMahon campaign. Despite support among Independents and even some Democrats, Shays faced a significant obstacles in

4814-414: The national level. The district, once a classic "Yankee Republican" district, swung heavily Democratic along with the rest of Connecticut from the early 1990s onward; the last Republican presidential candidate to carry it was George H. W. Bush in 1988. However, in 2004, Westport First Selectwoman Diane Farrell held him to only 52 percent of the vote, his closest contest in two decades. In 2006, Shays

4897-572: The nomination and general election campaigns. Following the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit in 2007 , the Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigated steroid usage in the wrestling industry. The Committee investigated WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), asking for documentation of their companies' drug policies. The McMahons both testified. The documents stated that 75 wrestlers—roughly 40 percent—had tested positive for drug use since 2006, most commonly for steroids. McMahon

4980-511: The officer's badge for identification. Following the incident, Shays publicly acknowledged his regret for his behavior and accepted full responsibility for his actions. Shays is a moderate Republican. From 1990 onward, Shays voted with the Republican majority 76.8% of the time, voted with the Democratic majority 57.9% of the time and missed 2.5% of the votes. A U.S. News & World Report analysis of Shays' voting record found that he

5063-569: The only candidates to qualify for the primary , which took place on August 14, 2012. McMahon defeated Shays by a three-to-one margin, spending $ 15.7 million of her money on the campaign. She lost to Democratic U.S. Representative Chris Murphy in the general election, marking her second consecutive defeat. Following her election defeats, McMahon committed herself to becoming a major Republican fundraiser and donor. She donated to groups such as American Crossroads and Ending Spending Fund , and associated with fellow mega donor Paul Singer . As

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5146-490: The primary trailing in both campaign funds and poll results. Outspent by more than $ 60 million, Shays was defeated by a three-to-one margin in the primary. She faced Democratic Representative Chris Murphy in the general election and lost, marking her second consecutive defeat in two years. In 2013, Shays was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during

5229-505: The reconstruction, logistical support of coalition forces, and the performance of security functions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He co-chaired the government watchdog commission that identified and raised alarm over $ 60 billion of waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contingency contracting and presented to Congress reforms to address this wasteful spending. Shays was a candidate for the 2012 Republican U.S. Senate nomination to replace retiring Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman . However, he lost

5312-461: The resignation of John G. Rowland . In 2010, Rell opted not to seek re-election to a second term. Former U.S. Ambassador Thomas C. Foley ran as the Republican nominee in the 2010 election and was subsequently defeated by Democratic challenger Dannel Malloy . Chris Shays Christopher Hunter Shays (born October 18, 1945) is an American politician. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives as representative of

5395-413: The resignation took effect on April 12. On April 15, she was named chairwoman of America First Action , a pro-Trump Super PAC . On November 19, 2024, McMahon was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Education. McMahon was born Linda Marie Edwards in New Bern , North Carolina , in a Welsh-American family, the daughter of Evelyn and Henry Edwards. She was an only child and grew up as

5478-435: The right track now." On June 24, 2005, Shays said "We've seen amazing progress [in Iraq]." On July 27, 2005, Shays said on a local radio program that he was optimistic about the future of Iraq, and that he opposed any timetable for troop withdrawal. On June 11, 2006 Shays told the Hartford Courant that his position on the war was a matter of principle and he was not going to stop talking about it. On October 11, 2006, at

5561-433: The state Republican Party by a delegate vote of 658 to 351 over Shays. The two were the only candidates to qualify for the primary , which would take place on August 14, 2012. A series of independent polls had shown Shays defeating or in dead heat with the top Democratic contenders in the general election, while those same polls show McMahon losing handily to each of the top Democratic contenders. The Shays campaign asserted

5644-438: The tax credits while laying off workers in 2009. McMahon often referred to the creative side of WWE as Vince's specialty, stating that she was primarily in the management team, although she appeared in several storylines. McMahon debuted on WWF TV during the Corporate Ministry storyline, on the May 3, 1999, episode of Raw during the Attitude Era . During an interview with Fox News , she said that she often did not know what

5727-404: The three largest towns—Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford. Ultimately, Shays could not overcome a landslide loss in Bridgeport, the largest city in the district, where he won only 19% of the vote. Shays officially entered the 2012 U.S. Senate race on August 22, 2011, to replace retiring senator Joe Lieberman . At the Connecticut State Republican Convention, Linda McMahon earned the endorsement of

5810-421: The time, she claimed she thought her degree was in education because she had completed a semester of student teaching. On September 16, 2009, McMahon announced her candidacy for U.S. Senator to represent the state of Connecticut . She announced she would spend up to $ 50 million of her own money to finance her campaign and refused outside donations, the third most ever spent on a senatorial campaign. She ran for

5893-400: The use of force in Iraq. In 2003, he was the first U.S. Congressman to visit Iraq after the outbreak of war and he has traveled to Iraq 21 times overall, more than any other U.S. legislator. From 2003 until August 24, 2006, Shays was a "stalwart supporter" of the War in Iraq , and of a continued U.S. military presence there. Shays has faced a continued political challenge to his views in

5976-607: The war," and Shays supported the President's decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq on February 17, 2007, when he voted in favor of the surge. On February 16, 2007, Shays voted against H. Con. Res. 63 (which disapproved of increasing troop levels in Iraq), claiming that "The resolution sends the wrong message to the President, to our troops, and to our enemies" On July 13, 2007 Shays called on Congress to approve withdrawing virtually all American troops from Iraq by December 2008. "I believe we need

6059-425: The wrestlers had agents and considered them to be on par with "singers, golfers, or tennis players". The company offered seminars to help wrestlers select health insurance plans. Under McMahon's tenure, WWE became one of the largest recipients of special tax credits for film and TV production granted by the state of Connecticut. During her 2010 campaign, Blumenthal's campaign criticized her and WWE for accepting

6142-583: Was a member of the Connecticut Legislature protesting judicial corruption. In 1987, Shays won a special election to fill the vacant seat of the late Congressman Stewart McKinney . He represented the 4th congressional district (southwestern Connecticut) until losing to Jim Himes in 2008. During his 21 years in Congress, Christopher served on the Government Reform, Financial Services, Budget and Homeland Security committees and

6225-494: Was an honors student in high school and aspired to become a pediatrician . Shortly after her high school graduation, Vince asked her to marry him. They married on August 26, 1966, when she was 17, and he was 21. She enrolled at East Carolina University in 1966, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in French . The academic program she completed was designed to prepare teachers for instruction. From 1968 to 1971, Vince worked as

6308-545: Was asked why there had been no follow-up during a televised interview with CBS Face the State on January 20, 2010, and responded: "There's not been any follow-up from any of the inquiries that were made because I believe we had furnished thousands of documents and testimony for them, and I think if they looked at our policy and really delved into it, they would be very satisfied." In July 2008, WWE changed its TV parental guidelines rating from TV-14 to TV-PG. In December 2008, at

6391-579: Was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to three years in prison but was freed on bail while appealing his conviction. His comments in 2005 made Shays the first Republican to say DeLay should step down from the Majority Leader post. He fought to maintain the Republican Party rule that requires an indicted leader to step down — the rule that ultimately resulted in Tom DeLay's resignation. Shays stated that he should resign, saying, "Tom's conduct

6474-491: Was defeated by Himes 51% to 48%. Himes was likely assisted by Barack Obama 's landslide victory in the 4th; Obama carried the district with 60% of the vote, one of the largest margins for a Republican-held district. Shays' defeat resulted in there being no Republicans representing New England in the House for the first time since the GOP's inception in the 1850s. Shays carried 14 of the 17 towns in his district. However, Himes took

6557-431: Was in "the fight of his political life", facing a rematch with Farrell. According to U.S. News & World Report , "With money pouring in from the district and from national groups (Farrell expects to raise close to $ 3 million, Shays a bit less) and unregulated political interest groups targeting Shays with automated calls and negative telemarketing designed as polls, this one already has the odor of ugly." According to

6640-602: Was insufficient to overcome Shays' lead in the more Republican towns in the district. After the defeats of Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons , Shays was the only Republican member of the Connecticut congressional delegation, and the only Republican House member from New England . In the 2008 election, Shays faced Democratic nominee Jim Himes , an affordable housing executive and businessman; Libertarian nominee M.A. Carrano, an experimental philosopher, systems consultant and author; and Green Party nominee Richard Duffee. Shays

6723-638: Was one of 20 Republicans to vote against an ultimately failed bill to ban physician-assisted suicide. Shays has long been known for environmental regulations, and was endorsed in the past by the League of Conservation Voters . He also advocates humane treatment of animals and ending discrimination in the workplace. Shays was also one of only four Republicans to vote against all four articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton . In April 2005, he broke with most of his party over House Majority Leader Tom DeLay 's alleged ethics violations. January 2011, DeLay

6806-517: Was quite a jock. I played baseball, basketball—I think that background made Vince and I very compatible. I really have a very good understanding of the male psyche—I'm very comfortable in a guy environment. I have to say that there are very strong women in this company as well. Our human resources division and our consumer goods division are headed by women—It's still a testosterone business, and I like it." On September 16, 2009, Linda McMahon resigned from her position as CEO of WWE and left WWE to run as

6889-461: Was the first congressman to enter Iraq after the war. In 2007, during an incident at the Capitol, a staff member under Shays' supervision attempted to bring a family through a restricted-access door. When a United States Capitol Police officer intervened and prevented their entry, Shays engaged in a heated exchange with the officer. He raised his voice, using profanities, and attempted to inspect

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