Kevin McCarthy is a prominent American politician who is currently the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents California’s 20th congressional district and is a member of the Republican Party. He has been in office since 2007 and has held various leadership positions within the House Republican Conference.
Joe McCarthy was a notorious U.S. senator who led a campaign of anti-communist hysteria in the 1950s. He accused many people of being communists or communist sympathizers, often without any evidence. He was censured by the Senate in 1954 and died in 1957.
Many people have wondered if Kevin McCarthy and Joe McCarthy are related, given their shared last name and political affiliation. However, the answer is no. They are not related by blood or marriage.
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The Family Background of Kevin McCarthy
According to his official biography, Kevin McCarthy was born in Bakersfield, California, on January 26, 1965. He is the youngest of three children of a homemaker mother and an assistant fire chief father. His family has lived in Kern County for four generations.
McCarthy graduated from California State University, Bakersfield, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1989 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1994. He started his own small business, Kevin O’s Deli, when he was 20 years old, after winning $5,000 from a lottery ticket.
McCarthy entered politics in 2000, when he was elected to the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees. He then served in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2006, becoming the minority leader in 2004. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, succeeding Bill Thomas, who retired.
McCarthy married Judy Wages in 1992 and they have two children.
The Family Background of Joe McCarthy
According to Britannica, Joe McCarthy was born in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, on November 14, 1908. He was the fifth of seven children of a farmer father and a devout Catholic mother. His parents were of Irish descent.
McCarthy dropped out of school at age 14 and worked as a chicken farmer, a grocery clerk, and a gas station attendant. He returned to school at age 20 and graduated from high school in one year. He then attended Marquette University, where he earned a law degree in 1935.
McCarthy practiced law in Wisconsin and became involved in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully for district attorney in 1936 and for state circuit judge in 1939. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and served as an intelligence officer in the Pacific theater.
McCarthy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1946, defeating Robert M. La Follette Jr., a progressive Republican. He gained national fame in 1950, when he claimed to have a list of communists working in the State Department. He became the chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1953 and launched a series of investigations and hearings into alleged communist infiltration and subversion in various sectors of American society.
McCarthy’s methods were widely criticized as unfair, reckless, and abusive. He faced opposition from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Court, the media, and some of his fellow senators. He was censured by the Senate in 1954 for his conduct and lost much of his influence and popularity. He died of hepatitis in Bethesda, Maryland, on May 2, 1957.
McCarthy married Jean Kerr in 1953 and they adopted a daughter.
The Other McCarthys
Kevin McCarthy and Joe McCarthy are not the only famous McCarthys in American history. There are also:
– Mary McCarthy (1912-1989), an acclaimed author and critic who was the sister of actor Kevin McCarthy (see below) and a distant cousin of Eugene McCarthy (see below).
– Kevin McCarthy (1914-2010), an actor who starred in movies such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Death of a Salesman (1951). He was the brother of Mary McCarthy and a distant cousin of Eugene McCarthy.
– Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005), a U.S. senator from Minnesota who ran for president as an anti-war candidate in 1968. He was a distant cousin of Mary McCarthy and Kevin McCarthy (the actor).
– Jenny McCarthy (1972-), an actress, model, author, and activist who is known for her roles in movies such as Scary Movie 3 (2003) and TV shows such as The View (2013-2014). She is not related to any of the other McCarthys mentioned above.
– Melissa McCarthy (1970-), an actress, comedian, writer, and producer who is known for her roles in movies such as Bridesmaids (2011) and TV shows such as Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) and Mike & Molly (2010-2016). She is not related to any of the other McCarthys mentioned above.
Conclusion
Kevin McCarthy and Joe McCarthy share a common surname and a common political party, but they are not related in any way. They come from different backgrounds, different states, and different eras. They also have different views and values on many issues. The only thing they have in common is their name..
