Mary Cheney

Mary Cheney
Born	Mary Claire Cheney 3/14/1969
Birthplace	Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Political consultant, corporate liaison, author
Known for	Daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney; LGBT rights advocacy; political consulting
Education	Colorado College (BA), University of Denver (MBA)
Children	2

Mary Claire Cheney (born March 14, 1969) is an American political consultant, author, and corporate liaison who gained national prominence as the openly gay younger daughter of Dick Cheney, the 46th vice president of the United States, and Lynne Cheney, a noted author and former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her sexual orientation became a recurrent subject of public discourse during the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, placing her at the intersection of Republican Party politics and the national debate over LGBT rights. Cheney worked on both of her father's vice-presidential campaigns and later served as a director of vice-presidential operations. She subsequently moved into political consulting and became involved with several political action committees and advocacy organizations. In 2012, she married her longtime partner, Heather Poe, and in 2013 she was among the signatories of an amicus curiae brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case. Cheney is also the author of Now It's My Turn: A Daughter's Chronicle of Political Life, published in 2006. Her older sister is Liz Cheney, who served as the U.S. representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023.

Early Life

Mary Claire Cheney was born on March 14, 1969, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney. She is the younger of the couple's two daughters; her elder sister, Liz Cheney, was born in 1966. The Cheney family moved several times during Dick Cheney's career in government, which included service as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford and later as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming.

Mary Cheney came out as a lesbian to her parents during her high school years. In a 2006 interview with ABC News, she discussed the process of coming out to her family, describing it as a personal journey that her parents handled with support. Her father, Dick Cheney, would later become known for his relatively moderate stance on same-sex relationships compared to many other Republican officeholders, a position that observers have connected in part to his relationship with Mary.

Growing up as the daughter of a prominent political figure shaped much of Cheney's outlook. The family's deep roots in Wyoming politics and the Republican establishment provided a backdrop to her formative years, even as her personal identity would later put her at odds with elements of her father's political party on social issues.

Education

Mary Cheney attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later pursued graduate studies at the University of Denver, where she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Her educational background in business would prove instrumental in her subsequent career in corporate relations and political consulting.

Career

Coors Brewing Company

After completing her undergraduate studies, Mary Cheney took a position with the Coors Brewing Company. She served as the company's corporate liaison to the gay and lesbian community, a role that was notable given the long and contentious relationship between the Coors family and LGBT organizations. The Coors company had faced boycotts from gay rights groups in previous decades, and Cheney's hiring was seen as part of the company's effort to improve its relationship with the LGBT community. In this position, Cheney worked to build connections between the corporation and gay and lesbian consumers and organizations.

2000 and 2004 Presidential Campaigns

When George W. Bush selected Dick Cheney as his running mate for the 2000 presidential election, Mary Cheney's sexual orientation immediately became a topic of media and political discussion. She served as an aide on her father's vice-presidential campaign, working behind the scenes on campaign operations. Her role was primarily operational rather than public-facing, though her presence on the campaign was itself the subject of commentary given the Republican Party's stance on gay rights issues at the time.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Mary Cheney again worked on her father's re-election effort, this time in a more prominent capacity. She served as the director of vice-presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, managing the logistics and strategy of her father's campaign activities.

Her sexual orientation became a significant point of public discussion during the 2004 vice-presidential and presidential debates. During the vice-presidential debate on October 5, 2004, Democratic vice-presidential nominee John Edwards mentioned Mary Cheney by name while discussing same-sex marriage, prompting a brief but notable exchange. Dick Cheney thanked Edwards for his remarks about his family.

The issue escalated during the third presidential debate on October 13, 2004, when Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry referenced Mary Cheney while answering a question about whether homosexuality is a choice. Kerry stated, "We're all God's children, Bob, and I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was." The remark drew sharp criticism from both Dick and Lynne Cheney. Lynne Cheney called the reference a "cheap and tawdry political trick," and the controversy became one of the notable moments of the 2004 campaign cycle.

Dick Cheney himself had addressed the issue of same-sex unions during the 2004 campaign, stating in August 2004 that "freedom means freedom for everyone" while also noting that he believed the regulation of relationships was a matter for the states. This position placed him somewhat at odds with President Bush, who had endorsed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Author and Public Figure

In 2006, Mary Cheney published her memoir, Now It's My Turn: A Daughter's Chronicle of Political Life, which detailed her experiences growing up in a political family and her perspective on the controversies surrounding her during the 2004 campaign. The book received significant media attention, and Cheney embarked on a publicity tour that included an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. In the book, Cheney described her reaction to being mentioned in the presidential debates and provided an insider's account of life within the Cheney family during two presidential campaigns.

Cheney also discussed her own views on LGBT issues, her coming-out experience, and the complexities of being a gay Republican in a party that was, during that era, broadly opposed to same-sex marriage. The memoir offered a personal perspective that contrasted with the public political positions of the Bush administration on marriage equality.

Political Consulting and Advocacy

Following her time in the White House orbit, Mary Cheney moved into political consulting. She became involved with a number of political action committees and advocacy organizations. According to reporting by the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets), the Cheney family was connected to a network of politically active organizations, including 501(c)(4) groups that were active on a range of policy issues.

Cheney's consulting firm was also reported to have organized advocacy efforts in support of the Keystone XL pipeline, according to an analysis by the Sunlight Foundation in 2014. This involvement demonstrated Cheney's transition from campaign operative to a broader role in political advocacy and consulting on energy and public policy issues.

She was also affiliated with Georgetown University's Government Affairs Institute, where she was listed as a participant in the institution's programs related to government and politics.

Same-Sex Marriage Advocacy

In 2013, Mary Cheney was among the signatories of an amicus curiae brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage in the landmark case Hollingsworth v. Perry. The brief was filed by a group of prominent Republicans who argued that the constitutional right to marry should extend to same-sex couples. This was a notable public statement from Cheney, who had previously been more reserved in her public advocacy on LGBT rights, and it placed her among a growing number of Republican figures who broke with the party's official platform on the issue.

The brief represented a significant development in the broader political debate over marriage equality, as it demonstrated that support for same-sex marriage was not confined to one political party. The Supreme Court ultimately vacated the lower court's ruling in Hollingsworth v. Perry on standing grounds, but the case was part of a series of legal challenges that culminated in the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which established a nationwide right to same-sex marriage.

Personal Life

Mary Cheney has been in a relationship with Heather Poe since the mid-1990s. The couple married in 2012 in Washington, D.C. Together, they have two children.

The question of Mary Cheney's personal life and her family's public stance on same-sex relationships was a recurring subject in American political discourse throughout the 2000s. Her father, Dick Cheney, repeatedly expressed personal support for same-sex relationships while often deferring to the position that marriage regulation should be left to individual states. The 2018 film Vice, a biographical drama about Dick Cheney directed by Adam McKay, depicted the relationship between Dick Cheney and Mary and explored how her coming out shaped his views on same-sex marriage.

Mary Cheney's relationship with her older sister, Liz Cheney, became a subject of public attention in 2013 when Liz Cheney, during her campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Wyoming, publicly stated her opposition to same-sex marriage. The disagreement between the two sisters played out publicly, with Mary Cheney and Heather Poe both posting statements on social media expressing their disappointment with Liz Cheney's position. The public nature of the family disagreement drew considerable media coverage and was described as one of the more notable political family feuds in recent American history.

Dick Cheney died on November 3, 2025. His funeral was held at Washington National Cathedral on November 20, 2025, and was attended by family members including Mary Cheney. Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, publicly expressed her condolences to the Cheney family following Dick Cheney's death.

Recognition

Mary Cheney's public profile has been shaped primarily by her position at the nexus of Republican politics and LGBT rights, rather than by traditional awards or honors. Her role in the 2004 presidential campaign debates, where she was referenced by name by both John Kerry and John Edwards, made her one of the most discussed private citizens in that election cycle.

Her memoir, Now It's My Turn, contributed to the public conversation about the experiences of LGBT individuals within conservative political families and received attention from major media outlets upon its release in 2006.

The 2004 debate controversy, the 2013 amicus brief in Hollingsworth v. Perry, and the public disagreement with her sister over same-sex marriage in 2013 each contributed to Cheney's status as a figure of interest in discussions about the evolving relationship between the Republican Party and LGBT rights. A 2004 Newsweek profile explored the complexities of Cheney's position as a gay woman working within the Republican political establishment.

In 2003, when U.S. Senator Rick Santorum made controversial remarks about homosexuality, the Log Cabin Republicans and other groups cited the Cheney family's situation in demanding an apology, further illustrating the degree to which Mary Cheney's personal life had become intertwined with national political debates.

Legacy

Mary Cheney's significance in American political history rests on her unique position as a member of one of the most prominent Republican families in the early 21st century who was also openly gay at a time when LGBT rights were among the most contested issues in American politics. Her presence within the Bush-Cheney political orbit complicated the Republican Party's opposition to same-sex marriage and provided a human dimension to what was often discussed in abstract political or legal terms.

Her father's relatively moderate stance on same-sex relationships — including his statement that "freedom means freedom for everyone" — was widely attributed, at least in part, to his relationship with Mary. The 2018 film Vice dramatized this dynamic, portraying Mary Cheney's coming out as a formative moment in Dick Cheney's personal and political development.

The public disagreement between Mary and Liz Cheney over same-sex marriage in 2013 illustrated the tensions within the Republican Party on social issues and became a case study in how family dynamics and political ambitions can collide in the public sphere. The episode was frequently cited in media analyses of the broader shift in American attitudes toward same-sex marriage.

Mary Cheney's career — from corporate liaison at Coors Brewing Company to campaign operative to political consultant — reflected a broader trajectory of LGBT individuals navigating spaces within the Republican establishment. Her willingness to work within a political party that was often hostile to LGBT rights, while also advocating for marriage equality through the Hollingsworth v. Perry amicus brief, positioned her as a complex figure in the history of the American LGBT rights movement and in the internal evolution of the Republican Party on social issues.