Martha McSally | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| United States Senator from Arizona | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – December 2, 2020 | |
| Appointed by | Doug Ducey |
| Preceded by | Jon Kyl |
| Succeeded by | Mark Kelly |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Ron Barber |
| Succeeded by | Ann Kirkpatrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Martha Elizabeth McSally March 22, 1966 Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Donald Henry
(m. 1997; ann. 1999) |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Harvard University (MPP) |
| Website | Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1988–2010 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Commands | 354th Fighter Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Operation Southern Watch Operation Allied Force Operation Enduring Freedom |
Martha Elizabeth McSally (born March 22, 1966) is an American politician and former military pilot who represented Arizona in both chambers of Congress between 2015 and 2020. She is to date the last Republican to serve Arizona in the U.S. Senate.
McSally served in the United States Air Force from 1988 to 2010, achieving the rank of colonel. She is the first U.S. woman to fly in combat and also the first to command a fighter squadron. In 2001, McSally successfully sued the United States Department of Defense in McSally v. Rumsfeld, challenging the military policy that required U.S. and UK servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the body-covering abaya when traveling off base in the country.
A member of the Republican Party, McSally ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, but was unsuccessful. She was elected to the House in 2014 and represented Arizona's 2nd congressional district from 2015 to 2019. McSally was the Republican nominee in Arizona's 2018 U.S. Senate election, losing to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. After interim Senator Jon Kyl resigned from the state's other Senate seat (to which he had been appointed following the death of longtime Senator John McCain), Governor Doug Ducey appointed McSally to replace Kyl. In 2020, a special election was held to determine who would serve the remainder of McCain's unexpired Senate term; McSally was defeated by Democratic nominee Mark Kelly.
McSally opposes same-sex marriage and opposes abortion in "nearly all cases", asserting that both issues should be decided at the state level. She advocates increased military spending. McSally opposed and voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and supported the unsuccessful attempt to pass American Health Care Act of 2017. Though criticizing Obama's use of executive action to create it, she supported Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals until 2018 and expressed concern about President Donald Trump's travel ban and the family separation policy.