Linda Marie McMahon (born October 4, 1948) is an American administrator, business executive and former professional wrestling executive who has served as the 13th United States secretary of education since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.[2][3]
McMahon, along with her husband, Vince McMahon, founded sports entertainment company Titan Sports (later World Wrestling Entertainment; WWE), where she worked as the president and later chief executive officer from 1980 to 2009. During this time, the company grew from a regional business in the northeast to a large multinational corporation. Among other things, she initiated the company's civic programs, Get R.E.A.L. and ''SmackDown! Your Vote''. She made occasional on-screen performances, most notably in a feud with her husband that culminated at WrestleMania X-Seven. In 2009, she left WWE to run for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut as a Republican, but lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 Senate election. She was the Republican nominee for Connecticut's other Senate seat in the 2012 race, but lost to Democrat Chris Murphy.
On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of McMahon to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the first Trump administration. McMahon was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2017, by a vote of 81–19 and sworn in as the 25th administrator of the SBA. On March 29, 2019, the Trump administration announced McMahon would step down as the administrator of the SBA in April to work on his upcoming re-election campaign.
In 2021, McMahon was the founding chairwoman of the America First Policy Institute.[4]
On November 19, 2024, McMahon was nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as U.S. secretary of education for the second Trump administration. McMahon was confirmed to the office by the U.S. Senate on March 3, 2025, by a vote of 51–45.[5][6][7] McMahon was sworn in as the 13th U.S. secretary of education on March 3, 2025.
Early life and education
McMahon was born Linda Marie Edwards[8] in New Bern, North Carolina, in a Welsh-American family, the daughter of Evelyn and Henry Edwards.[9][10] She was an only child and grew up as a "tomboy" playing basketball and baseball.[11] Her parents were both employees at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, a military base. She grew up in a conservative Baptist family, but converted to Roman Catholicism in her later years.[12]
Linda M. Edwards, at the age of 13, met Vince McMahon, who was then 16.[13]
Early career
In 1969, the McMahons moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland. Linda worked as a receptionist at the corporate law firm of Covington & Burling; she translated French documents, trained as a paralegal in the probate department, and studied intellectual property rights.[21]
Financially, the couple fared poorly for several years and, despite her husband working at a quarry,[22] briefly received food stamps.[23] In 1976, after a series of failed business ventures including financing stunt performer Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Jump,[24] and while pregnant with Stephanie, McMahon and her husband filed for bankruptcy.[25]
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
Corporate roles
Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon co-founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980. Many workers in the company referred to her as the "co-chief executive".[29] McMahon became president in 1993 and CEO of the company in 1997.[30] The company's explosive growth and the way it transformed the wrestling industry caused some observers to label her and Vince "business geniuses".[31]
One of her major interests in WWF and WWE was product merchandising.[32] She negotiated many of the company's business deals with outside vendors and established the company's first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars, in 1984.[33]
Political career
Connecticut Board of Education
McMahon was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Education by Governor Jodi Rell in January 2009.[84][85]
McMahon also sat on the Connecticut Board of Education for one year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time that she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher.[86] She filled out a vetting questionnaire for the board position stating that she had a degree in education from East Carolina University in 1969, although her degree was actually in French.[87]
She went through a confirmation process in the Connecticut State Assembly where she was questioned on her record as CEO of WWE.
Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2017–2019)
Nomination and confirmation
On December 7, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate McMahon to serve as administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).[114]
McMahon's confirmation hearing occurred on January 24, 2017.[115][116] Her nomination was approved by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on February 1, 2017 with an 18–1 vote.[117] McMahon was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2017 by a bipartisan vote of 81–19.[118]
Fundraising and second Trump transition (2019–2025)
America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC chaired by McMahon, helped raise $83 million for Trump's reelection campaign in 2020.[124][125] McMahon also serves as chair of the board for the America First Policy Institute, along with vice chair Larry Kudlow, former director of the National Economic Council under Trump and Fox Business host.[126] McMahon went on to join Howard Lutnick as co-chair of Trump's second transition team.[127]
Secretary of Education (2025–present)
Nomination and confirmation
On November 19, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of McMahon to head the Department of Education for his second administration.[128][129]
Throughout her nomination process, McMahon expressed support for school choice and charter schools in the United States.[130]
On January 20, 2025, McMahon's nomination was received in the U.S. Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).[131] The nomination hearing was scheduled for February 13, 2025.[132]
Electoral history
- Primary
Further reading
External links
- Secretary of Education Linda McMahon
- SBA Administrator Linda McMahon (former)
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets (2010)
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets (2012)
References
- Niha Masih, Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Tyler Pager, Kevin Schaul, Kati Perry, Luis Melgar. Who is Linda McMahon? Trump donor, WWE co-founder is education secretary pick. The Washington Post, 2024-11-20, retrieved 2025-05-24^
- Zach Montague. Linda McMahon Lays Out Plan for a Diminished Education Dept. The New York Times, February 13, 2025, retrieved February 16, 2025^
- Alayna Treene, Katie Lobosco.