The McCain in the news isn’t Meghan this time. Cindy McCain, 66, is reportedly being considered for a UN ambassadorship by President Joe Biden, which would bring her to Rome. Cindy is currently undergoing vetting to become the next US ambassador to the UN World Food Programme, a highly coveted position, according to sources who spoke to Politico. As she awaits the end of the vetting process and potentially becomes the Biden administration’s first Republican appointee, here’s what else you need to know about Cindy:
She Is John McCain’s Widow
Cindy met husband John McCain in 1979 at a reception in Honolulu, Hawaii. The future Arizona senator was then a US Navy liaison officer to the United States Senate, while she was on the island for a family vacation. The two were actually introduced by current First Lady Jill Biden! Their relationship began while he was still married to first wife Carol McCain. After their divorce was finalized in 1980, John and Cindy got married just a few months later.
She took a major role in her husband’s various political campaigns, going door to door for him during his first Senate run, in 1982, and was by his side during his presidential runs in 2000 and 2008. The couple had four children together: Jack, Meghan, James, and Bridget McCain. John unfortunately passed away in 2018 of brain cancer.
She’s Meghan McCain’s Mother
Yes, that Meghan! Cindy’s eldest daughter is the outspoken conservative co-host of The View who frequently butts heads with liberal counterparts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg. Cindy is a frequent guest on the morning talk show, often to talk politics, reminisce about Meghan’s father, and embarrass her to bits. When Meghan shocked her audience by admitting she would vote Democrat in the 2020 election, she cited the Trumps always “making my mom cry” as one of her reasons.
She’s A Businesswoman & Philanthropist
While publicly, Cindy is focused on politics (including turning Arizona blue for Biden in 2020), she’s a wealthy businesswoman more behind the scenes. Cindy is the heiress to Hensley & Co., one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the United States. She inherited majority control and became chair of the company in 2000, after her father passed away.
Cindy is also chair of the McCain Institute for International Leadership board of trustees. The McCain Institute was founded in 2012 and is a think tank in cooperation with the University of Arizona. It’s mission is to “advance leadership based on security, economic opportunity, freedom, and human dignity, in the United States and around the world,” according to their mission statement.
Her Parents Are Jim & Marguerite Hensley
Cindy’s father is Jim Hensley, the wealthy former head of Hensley & Co, and her mother is Marguerite “Smitty” Hensley. Cindy was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from the University of California (USC) with a Bachelor’s in education and Masters in special education. She has lived in Arizona for the rest of her life, even moving back to her childhood neighborhood after her husband’s death.
She’s Worth An Estimated At $200 Million
The beer distribution industry did Cindy well. Her net worth, as of 2018, was an estimated $200 million — mostly thanks to her Hensley & Co. shares, according to Business Insider. She also inherited money after her husband’s death.