Rich McCormick Bio
Richard Dean McCormick (born October 7, 1968) is an American physician, military veteran, and Republican politician. He has represented Georgia in the United States House of Representatives since 2023, first serving the 6th congressional district and, after redistricting, the 7th congressional district beginning in 2025. A former United States Marine Corps aviator and United States Navy Medical Corps officer, McCormick combines more than two decades of uniformed service with a career in emergency medicine.
Beyond medicine and the military, McCormick has remained a visible public figure. He was the runner-up of the seventh season of the original run of American Gladiators, losing in the final to Pat Csizmazia. His broad life experience, spanning aviation, combat deployments, medicine, and television, has shaped the perspective he brings to federal office.
Early Life and Background
Richard Dean McCormick was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1968. He later moved to the Pacific Northwest, where he graduated from Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon, in 1986. His upbringing across the West Coast helped shape a path that would eventually blend military service with medical training.
McCormick attended Oregon State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1990. He went on to complete a Master of Business Administration at National University in 1999, followed by a Doctor of Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in 2010. His academic record reflects a long-term commitment to combining leadership, business, and clinical practice.
Path to US Politics
Before entering politics, McCormick served in the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy for more than 20 years. In the Marine Corps, he trained as a Naval Aviator and piloted the CH-53E Super Stallion Helicopter. He later transferred to the Navy, where he served as a Medical Corps officer and rose to the rank of commander, with deployments that included time in Africa, South Korea, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf. During his Marine Corps service, he appeared in the well-known recruiting commercial titled “Chess.”
After completing his medical training, McCormick worked as an emergency physician at Gwinnett Medical Center. His combined experience in combat aviation, military medicine, and emergency care created a public service profile that ultimately led him to run for Congress. His first campaign began in 2020, when he ran for Georgia’s 7th congressional district.
Rich McCormick Career
Early Career (2020)
McCormick’s political career began in 2020, when U.S. Representative Rob Woodall did not seek reelection in Georgia’s 7th congressional district. McCormick entered the race and won the Republican primary with more than 50 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff. The strong primary showing positioned him as a serious contender in a competitive suburban Atlanta district.
Despite his primary victory, McCormick lost the 2020 general election to Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. The narrow defeat did not end his political ambitions, and he soon turned his attention to the next election cycle as redistricting reshaped Georgia’s congressional map.
2022 Congressional Breakthrough
Following redistricting tied to the 2020 U.S. Census, McCormick announced his candidacy in the 2022 elections for the newly redrawn and more Republican-leaning Georgia’s 6th congressional district. The redrawn district covered a large portion of the suburban Atlanta area and offered a more favorable environment for GOP candidates.
In a crowded Republican primary with nine candidates, McCormick and Jake Evans advanced to a primary runoff. McCormick defeated Evans in the runoff and went on to win the November 8, 2022, general election against Democrat Bob Christian. The victory sent him to the United States House of Representatives and marked his breakthrough into federal office.
Tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives (2023–Present)
Since taking office in 2023, McCormick has been an active member of the House Republican caucus. He was among 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. In November 2023, he introduced H.Res. 845, which censured Representative Rashida Tlaib for promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.
In December 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene accused McCormick of grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, following a public dispute. She asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to investigate the claims. McCormick apologized for the interaction, and an investigation that included a review of surveillance footage and dozens of witnesses could not corroborate her allegations.
Following the 2024 New Hampshire Republican primary, McCormick endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, after previously supporting Ron DeSantis. During an October 2024 Trump rally at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, McCormick said Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He has also spoken about cutting non-discretionary federal spending and, in January 2025, cosponsored a bill recognizing personhood as starting at conception.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of McCormick’s signature early moments in Congress was the passage of his resolution censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib in November 2023. He also drew national attention in February 2025, when he held a town hall meeting in Roswell, Georgia, that drew an overflow crowd, an early sign of constituent backlash that swept through Republican offices during the opening months of Donald Trump’s second term.
Rich McCormick Career Wins
Although McCormick’s first congressional bid in 2020 ended in defeat, he has since built a record of electoral success in Georgia. His victories in the 2022 and 2024 cycles established him as a durable Republican voice in the Atlanta suburbs.
Congressional Election Highlights
McCormick’s first congressional victory came in 2022, when he won Georgia’s 6th congressional district after prevailing in a nine-candidate Republican primary, defeating Jake Evans in a runoff, and then beating Democrat Bob Christian in the general election. After redistricting, he was elected in 2024 to represent the newly drawn Georgia’s 7th congressional district.
Other Wins and Achievements
Outside of elected office, McCormick achieved national recognition as the runner-up of the seventh season of the original run of American Gladiators, finishing as the final challenger to winner Pat Csizmazia. He also gained visibility for his role in the well-known U.S. Marine Corps recruiting commercial “Chess.”
| Position | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Representative, Georgia’s 6th Congressional District | 1 | 2022 |
| U.S. Representative, Georgia’s 7th Congressional District | 1 | 2024 |
Rich McCormick Family
Family Background and Personal Life
McCormick was born in Las Vegas in 1968 and raised in part in the Pacific Northwest, where he completed high school in Portland, Oregon. He went on to build a career that took him across multiple continents through military deployments in Africa, South Korea, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf.
McCormick has three sons from his first marriage. In 2024, he confirmed that he was in a relationship with Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne. His personal life, like his professional record, reflects a balance between family responsibilities and sustained public service.