Martha McSally is not only a politician but also a retired military pilot and was the senator for Arizona in 2019. She has been someone who has strongly opposed the ideas of abortion, same-sex marriages, and the legalization of both medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. Her time spent in the office was between January 3rd, 2015 to January 3rd, 2019.
However, she did not win the 2020 elections in Arizona.
Martha McSally Net Worth
Martha McSally has investments in real estate, mining, and also rental property. Her net worth is estimated to be between the range of $100,00-$1 million as of 2020.
Early Life of Martha McSally
Martha McSally was born in Warwick, Rhode Island in 1996 along with five other siblings. Her father was a lawyer and he passed away from a heart attack when Martha McSally was only 12 years old. Martha’s mother was a reading specialist and worked hard to support the family.
Martha McSally graduated from ST. Mary Academy in 1984 and also went through a forced sexual relationship with her track and field coach who used to emotional manipulation. After gaining her undergraduate degree in Biology, in 1988 she was appointed to the United States Air force academy. She also has a master’s degree in public policy from John F. Kennedy School of government, an affiliate of Harvard University.
Military Sexual Assault Survivor
Martha McSally got married to Donald Frederick Henry in 1997 who was also an Air Force Officer but in 1999 the marriage was annulled. Martha McSally has a rescued golden retriever named Boomer that appears in most events and videos next to her.
McSally also underwent sexual assault when she was in the air force but did not disclose the name of the officer but however, she passed a statement saying
“I also am a military sexual assault survivor, but unlike so many brave survivors, I didn’t report being sexually assaulted. Like so many women and men, I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways. In one case I was preyed upon and raped by a superior officer.”
McSally vs Rumsfeld
Martha McSally got her USAF pilot wings in the year 1991. Her first assignment was at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas where she was an instructor pilot in the T-37 trainer. During her deployment in Kuwait in 1995, she flew a patrol over Iraq to support operation southern watch and was the first U.S woman to fly a fighter pilot in combat.
In the year 1999, she was in Europe to support Operation Allied forces and was one of the seven active duty air force officers. Martha McSally took charge of the 354th fighter squadron in July 2004 and was also in Afghanistan working on Operation enduring freedom.
In 2006, Martha McSally went on to win the David C. Shilling Award for her outstanding contribution to the flight field.
She also faced a lawsuit which was titled McSally vs Rumsfeld that went against the military policies that were used by U.K and U.S women stationed in Saudi Arabia who were forced to wear abayas. In an interview with CBS News in 2002, she said,
“I have to sit in the back and at all times I must be escorted by a male … [who], when questioned, is supposed to claim me as his wife,” she said. “I can fly a single-seat aircraft in enemy territory, but [in Saudi Arabia] I can’t drive a vehicle”
In the year 2002, McSally’s fight against the compulsion of servicewomen to wear abayas in Saudi Arabia was removed.
On May 6th, 2010, Martha McSally retired from the Air Force and began her work as a professor at George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.
First Female Republican Representative from Arizona
Martha McSally kickstarted her political career in 2012 as she was a candidate for Arizona’s 8th congressional district vacancy. She went up against Ron Barber, however, she lost this election. In 2014, she went on to run for the same position again and she won the elections by 167 votes and was the first female republican representative from Arizona.
In 2016 she defeated Matt Heinz a democratic opponent to retain her seat.
During her first few years in Congress, she was considered to be a political moderate and the Arizona republic also passed a statement saying,
“One of the most prolific fundraisers among House members not holding a leadership role while cultivating a reputation as a conscientious and moderate lawmaker.“
In 2018, Martha McSally decided to run for the senate and started her campaign in Tuscon.
McSally had made sure to keep her distance from Donald Trump and said that he was disgusting due to all the sexual assaults but this quickly turned over as she began supporting and accepting Trump’s immigration policies.
Martha McSally went on to win the 2018 elections. however, In the general elections that took place in November that year, she lost by a very close margin to Krysten Sinema, who went on to become the first female senator from Arizona.
In 2019, however, she was sworn in as a senator becoming the second female senator from Arizona. However, the tenure period was cut short as she lost the 2020 elections.
