About Mary

Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack proudly represents California’s 45th Congressional District.  First elected on April 7, 1998, to fill the seat previously held by her late husband, the Honorable Sonny Bono, M.C., Bono Mack has been successfully re-elected five times.

Assigned to the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, Bono Mack serves on the:

• Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
• Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
• Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
• Chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force and
• Co-Chair of the Entertainment Task Force, and Travel and Tourism Task Force
• Founder and Co-Chair of the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus
• Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention

Mary was born on October 24, 1961, in Cleveland, Ohio to Clay and Karen Whitaker. In 1963, her family moved to South Pasadena, California where she was raised with her two older brothers, David and Stephen, and an older sister, Katherine. As a youth, Mary pursued her first love, gymnastics. With her family’s support, Mary became an accomplished gymnast while training with the team Gymnastics Olympica.

In 1984, Mary graduated from the University of Southern California, with a degree in Art History.  While celebrating her graduation from USC at BONO restaurant, Mary met the restaurant’s owner and her future husband, Sonny Bono. Their relationship blossomed, and in February of 1986, Mary Whitaker married Sonny Bono in Palm Springs, California.

Her husband, Sonny Bono, was elected Mayor of Palm Springs in 1988.  Mary served as first lady of the City of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992, participating in a wide range of community charities and service organizations in the Inland Empire. Mary served on the board of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and played a leadership role in support of the D.A.R.E. program, Olive Crest Home for Abused Children, Tiempos de Los Ninos and many other local causes.  In 1993, the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Girl Scouts of America named Mary Woman of the Year for her assistance to victims of a tragic Girl Scout bus crash in Palm Springs.

After the tragic death of her late husband, the Honorable Sonny Bono, Mary Bono Mack was elected with 67% of the vote to represent California’s 45th Congressional District in Washington, DC.  
Since coming to Washington in 1998, Congresswoman Bono Mack has proven her ability to be a consensus-builder in Congress. In 2000, Congresswoman Bono Mack succeeded in passing legislation establishing the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument in the Palm Springs region with support from diverse interests including environmentalists and developers. The Congresswoman is a strong advocate of returning authority to local government, particularly in public education. The Congresswoman opposes the existing federal tax structure; supports tax relief and advocates for a reduction in federal bureaucracy. She believes that the responsibility of the federal government is to maintain a strong national defense and state-of-the-art armed services.

Mary Bono Mack is married to U.S. Congressman Connie Mack. She is the proud mother of Chesare and Chianna and her two stepchildren Addison and Connie.  Congresswoman Bono Mack resides in Palm Springs, CA.

Awards

• “Guardian of Small Business Award” – The National Federation of Independent Business (2000)
• “Hero of the Taxpayer Award” – Americans for Tax Reform (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
• “Friend of the Farm Bureau” – The American Farm Bureau Federation (2002)
• “Friend of the Shareholder Award” – American Shareholders Association (ASA) (2006)
• “Transportation Woman of the Year” -Inland Empire Chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) (2006)
• “Legislator of the Year” – International Hispanic Awards Gala (2007)
• “Spirit Enterprise” – The United State Chamber of Commerce (2007)
• “Golden Triangle Award” -National Farmers Union (NFU) (2008)
• “Guardian Award” – Partnership for a Drug -Free America (2008)
• “Congressional Honors” – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) (2008)
• “Spirit of Enterprise” – U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2008)
• “Legislator of the Year Award” – National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (2009)

Recognition

• Named as one of the most Fascinating Women of 1998 by Ladies Home Journal
• Selected by GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics (1999).
• Recognized as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women” golfers by Golf Digest (2008).
• Featured in a wide array of publications, domestically and abroad, including: GEORGE, The New York Times Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, ELLE Magazine, PEOPLE, Capital Style, HELLO Magazine, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

California’s 45th Congressional District

The 45th congressional district is located in southeastern California, in a region known as the “Inland Empire.” The region reflects the state as a whole; with deserts, mountains, agricultural and pastoral open-space, the Colorado River, and a large inland sea (the Salton Sea). Major industries include tourism and agriculture, as well as a diversity of professional and light manufacturing centers. The majority of the population resides in the Moreno Valley, the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley, the Coachella Valley, and Murrieta.

The district includes the communities of Anza, Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, Hemet, Idyllwild, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Menifee, Mecca, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Thermal, portions of Temecula, and other unincorporated areas of Riverside County.