Amy McGrath is an American former Marine Corps fighter pilot and political candidate. She is best known as the first woman to fly a combat mission in the F/A-18 Hornet for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Amy McGrath was born on June 3, 1975, in Kenton County, Kentucky. She grew up in Edgewood, a suburb of Covington, as the youngest of three children. Her father was a high school English teacher, and her mother was one of the first female graduates of the University of Kentucky’s medical school, later becoming a practicing physician.
McGrath attended Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky, where she excelled in both academics and athletics. From a young age, she was determined to pursue a military career in aviation, despite early legal barriers that limited women's roles in combat. As a teenager, she wrote to members of Congress advocating for the removal of those restrictions, though she was initially discouraged by the responses she received. Eventually, policy changes opened the door for women to serve in combat roles, allowing McGrath to pursue her ambitions.
McGrath continued her education at the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1997. She later earned a master’s degree in international and global security from Johns Hopkins University. During her 20-year tenure in the Marine Corps, she served as a fighter pilot, flying 89 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and achieving the historic distinction of being the first woman to fly an F/A-18 in combat for the Marines.
After retiring from the military as a lieutenant colonel, McGrath entered politics. In 2018, she ran for Kentucky’s 6th congressional district but narrowly lost to Republican incumbent Andy Barr. In July 2019, McGrath announced her intention to challenge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the 2020 Senate race. She launched her campaign with a video condemning McConnell’s long tenure in Washington, stating, “Everything that’s wrong in Washington had to start someplace. It started with this man who was elected a lifetime ago and who has, bit by bit, year by year, turned Washington into something we all despise.”
Amy McGrath is married to Erik Henderson, a retired Navy pilot who served for nearly 20 years. The couple met in 2004 and were married on December 19, 2009. They have three children and reside in Georgetown, Kentucky. In 2017, following her retirement from the Marine Corps, McGrath and her family returned to her home state to begin a new chapter focused on public service and family life.
McGrath often portrays herself as a committed mother and public servant. Her social media presence underscores her dedication to family, exemplified by a cover photo that shows her family working together on school assignments around the kitchen table.
Amy McGrath's life demonstrates a continued commitment to public service, leadership, and advocacy for equal opportunity. Breaking gender barriers in the military and pursuing high-profile political campaigns have positioned her as a prominent voice in Kentucky and national discourse.
| Birth Date: | 31 May, 1975 |
| Age: | 45 yrs |
| Occupations: | Fighter pilot Politician |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Cincinnati |
| residence: | Georgetown |
| Gender: | Female |
| Spouse: | Erik Henderson |
