Claire McCaskill Biography, Net Worth, Husband, Children And Education

Quick Facts

Claire McCaskill is one woman who is strong and vivacious. Popularly, she is known as an American politician who has worked her way up to becoming the second female elected as a senior United States Senator. Before she assumed the office of a Senator in 2006, she once served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the year 1983 to 1998, as well as Jackson County Prosecutor from 1993 to 1998. In 2004, she decided to run for the post of Governor of Missouri, though she succeeded in defeating her running mate and the Democratic incumbent, Bob Holden at the primaries, she lost the election to Republican, Matt Blunt.

Claire McCaskill’s Bio, Education

Claire Conner McCaskill was born in Rolla Missouri on the 24th of July, 1953 to parents, Betty Anne (née Ward; 1928–2012) and William Young McCaskill (1925-1993). Her mother happened to be the first woman to be elected into the City Council of Colombia, Missouri. Her father, on the other hand, worked with the ex-governor, Warren .E. Hearnes in his administration as the Insurance Commissioner of the state. Though Claire spent most of her childhood days with her family living in the small town of Missouri Houston, her family later moved to Lebanon, before settling in Colombia.

While in Colombia, she was enrolled at the David H. Hickman High School and she no doubts made her presence felt in the school. She was the Pep Club president, a cast member for a musical, a debate club member, and a homecoming queen. Upon leaving high school, she moved on to gain admission into the University of Missouri, McCaskill to study Political Science. Apart from her studies there, she joined a sorority called, Kappa Alpha Theta. While at Missouri, Claire also took classes at the Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems at the Georgetown University. Having completed the various requirements for her course of study, in the University of Missouri, she graduated successfully in 1975.

After graduating from college, she proceeded to the University of Missouri School of Law in order to obtain a Juris Doctor (J.D.) of which she succeeded in getting 1978. Ever since she graduated from school, she has worked in the public sector. First, she worked as an arson case specialist with the Jackson County, before, moving to Kansas City where she worked as a private practice attorney, focusing on trial law between 1989 and 1991.

Political Career

Her first taste of a political office was in 1982 when she was elected to become a representative of the Brookside neighbourhood of Kansas City. She later desired to enter the race for the post of “Jackson County Prosecutor” in 1988 but didn’t pursue that due to the fact that, the incumbent Prosecutor, Albert Riederer, who happened to be a fellow Democrat and her mentor, decided to seek another term. However, in 1998, Claire McCaskill, became the second woman to assume the office of a State Auditor, a position she won during the elections, having amassed 50.3 percent of the vote. She held this position from 1998 to 2007.

In 2007, she became the senior United State Senator, also the second woman to occupy such an office after Jean Carnahan. She did so by edging out fellow contender and Republican, Tim Talent whom she defeated by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She was reelected in 2012, having defeated Republican, Todd Akin by a margin of 54.7% to 39.2%.

Net Worth

The senior Senator has managed to have a steady and successful career in her professional years as well as her time as a public servant. With her earnings as a professional, she has been able to make good savvy moves to invest in various laudable sectors including real estate, securities & investments. All these bring her net worth to a whopping $60 million. With this financial power, Claire is no doubt living a life of luxury and comfort.

Family- Husband, Children

Claire McCaskill has been married twice over the period of her lifetime. Her very first marriage was to David Exposito while she was still a Jackson County Prosecutor, in 1995. Together as a couple, they welcomed three adorable children, two daughters, Maddie Exposito and Lily Exposito as well as a son, Austin Exposito. After 11 years of marriage, tragedy struck Claire and her household as her husband David was murdered on the 12th of December 2005 in Kansas City, Kansas. His murder has never been solved.

She was thus single for a while before she met her new husband, Joseph Shepard with whom she tied the knot in 2002. The pair has been married ever since.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.