According to The New York Times, the former Senate majority leader became friends with Stuart Bloch, who later invited him to a dinner with his wife, Julia Chang, and Chao. Although McConnell and Chao's chemistry was not apparent at first, they soon developed a romantic relationship and eventually got married. "My wife Elaine and I got married on President [Ronald] Reagan's birthday, February 6th. It's probably not the most romantic thing to admit, but Reagan meant a great deal to both of us," he explained in the speech announcing his resignation as Senate majority leader in 2021. Before Chao, McConnell was married to his first wife, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 to 1980.