LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao's enduring status as a powerhouse couple was on display Tuesday as they reflected on their shared lives at a ceremony for the archives that will catalogue their careers.
The Kentuckians marked the expansion of the McConnell Chao Archives at McConnell's alma mater, the University of Louisville. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, is in his final term after the Republican senator revealed in February that he won't seek reelection in 2026. Chao, his wife, is a former U.S. labor and transportation secretary for Republican administrations.
“I didn’t get into this line of work to put my name on a building," McConnell said during the campus ceremony. "We needed an archive largely because I never threw anything away.”
The collection will span their decades of public life and offer a “front-row view of how our government and institutions operate,” McConnell said in a news release.
The couple — a formidable duo on the campaign trail for decades in the Bluegrass State — praised one another during the campus ceremony.
McConnell, 83, is Kentucky's longest-serving senator. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was elected to his seventh term in 2020. His tenure as Senate party leader ended at the start of 2025. He is serving out his current term and has focused on national defense and international issues, including his strong support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
At Tuesday's event, Chao referred to McConnell as her “best friend and teammate and also the man who is at the center of my life, the man who supported my career in public service.” She called her husband the ”most prolific" Senate party leader in history and said Kentucky continues to “reap the benefits” from his tenure.
“With the expansion of this archive, his extraordinary accomplishments will continue to inform and inspire leaders for generations to come,” she said.
McConnell returned the compliments, saying: “Spending life with Elaine has been a blessing. Sharing this archive is an honor.”
Reflecting on his storied career, McConnell said of his wife: “She’s been my most effective advocate every step of the way. And thank you, again.”
UofL President Gerry Bradley said the archives will be an “invaluable source” for scholars and historians by offering insights into the careers of McConnell and Chao.
“It’s not just a record of political history — it’s a living resource for students, scholars and citizens who seek to understand and engage with the democratic process,” he said.
Originally installed in 2009, the McConnell Chao Archives include a permanent gallery open to the public in UofL’s Ekstrom Library. It features exhibits, films and interactive displays about U.S. government, history and politics. The expansion enhanced the facility's capacity and functionality with a newly constructed archive storage room to house the couple's collections.
The vast volumes of archived materials are being processed and are not yet available for research. McConnell quipped that his political enemies “have been deterred from seeing any of this.”
Another campus initiative close to McConnell's heart has been the McConnell Center, a nonpartisan academic program at the university that aims to prepare students for future leadership roles.
“The idea here was to try to provide an Ivy League-type experience in a Kentucky place," McConnell said Tuesday. "The point being, so many of our sharpest kids go off to the East and never come back.”
For years, the center has lured a long list of U.S. and international leaders to Louisville to give speeches.
The program's graduates have pursued a variety of professions — including public service, business and medicine — and many have returned to make their lives and careers in Kentucky, McConnell said.
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