List of U.S. political families

   

During its history the United States has seen many families who have repeatedly produced notable politicians from their ranks, and these historic U.S. political families have had a significant impact on politics in the United States.

Many of these families have moved to national prominence from a state or regional power base. The Kennedys, for example, are particularly associated with Massachusetts; the Long family is identified with Louisiana, the Lees with Virginia, and the Tafts with Ohio. Other political families are less connected with a specific state; the Bush family began in Connecticut, but is now more closely identified with Texas, and a member of the family is the governor of Florida. Kennedy family member Maria Shriver's husband Arnold Schwarzenegger is now governor of California.

See also Political families of the world.

Families

Here are some of the more notable families visible on a national level:

The Adamses

Main article: Adams family

The Bayhs

Main article: Bayh family

The Browns

Main article: Brown family

(The Browns are not related to Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco, California and former Speaker of the California State Assembly)

The Bushes

Main article: Bush family

Two members of the Bush family have served as President of the United States and a number of Bush family members have served in other high offices:

The Byrds and Floods

(The Virginia Byrds are not related to Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia)

The Carnahans

The Carrolls

The Carrolls of Maryland were a very active family during the early history of the United States

The Celebrezzes

The Churches and Clarks

  • Frank Church, U.S. Senator from Idaho from 1957 - 1981. Son in law of Chase Addison Clark.
  • Chase Addison Clark, Governor of Idaho from 1941 - 1953. Brother of Barzilla W. Clark.
  • Barzilla W. Clark, Governor of Idaho from 1937 - 1939.

The Clintons and Rodhams

  • William J. Clinton, 42nd President
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton (wife of Bill Clinton), U.S. senator from New York
  • Hugh Rodham (brother of Hillary), Democratic candidate for U.S. senator from Florida (1994)

The Cornings

The D'Alesandros

The Daleys

Main article: Daley family

Two members of the Daley family served as Mayor of Chicago, between them ruling the city for more than a third of a century.

The DeWines

The Dingells

  • John D. Dingell Sr. (1894-1955), U.S. representative from Michigan, 1933-1955.
    • John D. Dingell Jr. (b.1926), son of John Sr., U.S. representative from Michigan, 1955-present.
      • Chris Dingell, son of John Dingell Jr., Michigan state senator, 1998-present, presumed candidate for John Dingell Jr.'s House seat upon his retirement.

The Doles

The Dulleses

Main article: Dulles family

Several members of the Dulles family served in important positions, including:

The du Ponts

Main article: du Pont family; also see du Pont company

The du Pont immigrant to the United States, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) was deputy of the Third Estate to the Estates-General for the region of Nemours in France. The du Pont political dynasty is based on the family's manufacturing empire in Delaware.

  • May Lammot du Pont married Willard Saulsbury U.S. Senator from Delaware (elected 1912).
  • Renée de Pelleport du Pont married LeRoy Harvey, mayor of Wilmington, Delaware.
  • Ethel du Pont (1916-1965) married Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., son of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) and Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).
  • Pierre Samuel du Pont IV (born 1935) was a U.S. Congressman from Delaware (1971-1974) & Governor of Delaware (1977-1985).
  • Henry Algernon du Pont (1838-1926) was Senator from Delaware 1905-1916.
  • Thomas Coleman du Pont (1863-1930) was Senator from Delaware (1921-1928).

The Eisenhowers

Main article: Eisenhower family

The Feltons

Main article: Felton family

The Frelinghuysens

The Gilligans and the Sebeliuses

Main articles: Gilligan family and Sebelius family

The Gores

Main article: Gore family

Writer Gore Vidal has asserted that his grandfather, Thomas Pryor Gore, was related to the Al Gores of Tennessee, but no such relationship has been proven.

The Harrisons

Main article: Harrison family

The Hearsts

Main article: Hearst family

The Houghtons

The Houghtons are heirs to the Corning glass fortune.

The Humphreys

The Hutchinsons

The Johnsons

The Kennedys

Main article: Kennedy family

Some commentators in the early 1960s made predictions that President John F. Kennedy would be first of a dynasty in the White House, but these predictions were not borne out, and the idea largely dropped off the public's radar after Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 and Edward Kennedy was involved in a drunk-driving incident (in which a passenger in his car was killed) in 1969. However, a number of Kennedy family members have held high office since then.

The Kennedys have also made marriages with political figures:

The La Follettes

Main article: La Follette family


The Lees

Main article: Lee family

The Lees of Virginia have produced many prominent national figures, including:

The Levins

  • Theodore Levin (1897-1970), was a federal judge
    • Charles Levin, son of Theodore, was a Michigan Supreme Court judge
    • Joseph Levin, brother of Charles and son of Theodore, was a candidate for U.S. representative from Michigan
  • Saul Levin, brother of Theodore, was Honduran consul
    • Carl Levin, son of Saul, is a U.S. senator from Michigan.
    • Sander Levin, son of Saul and brother of Carl, is a U.S. representative from Michigan.

The Lodges

The Longs

Main article: Long family

The Longs of Louisiana have produced a number of important political leaders, including:

  • George Long (brother of Huey and Earl Long), U.S. Representative.
  • Huey Long (brother of George and Earl Long), governor of Louisiana, U.S. senator, and Presidential candidate.
  • Rose McConnell Long (wife of Huey Long), U.S. senator.
  • Earl Long (brother of Huey and George Long), governor of Louisiana.
  • Gillis Long (cousin of the above), Representative.
  • Catherine Small Long (wife of Gillis Long), Representative.
  • Speedy Oteria Long (cousin of the above), Representative.

The Metzenbaums and Hyatts

The Murkowskis

Main article: Murkowski family

  • Frank Murkowski, senator from and governor of Alaska.
    • Lisa Murkowski (daughter of Frank), U.S. senator from Alaska (appointed to that position by her father to fill his spot when he was elected governor).

The Powells

Main article: Powell family

The Rockefellers

Main article: Rockefeller family

The Romneys

Main article: Romney family

The Roosevelts

Main article: Roosevelt family

The Sheppards and Macks

  • John Levi Sheppard (1852-1902), U.S. Congressman from Texas, 1899-1902.
  • Morris Sheppard (1875-1941), son of John Levi Sheppard, U.S. Congressman from Texas, 1902-1913, Senator from Texas, 1913-1941.
  • Connie Mack III (b. 1940), grandson of Morris Sheppard, U.S. Congressman from Florida 1983-1989, Senator from Florida 1989-2001.
  • Connie Mack IV, son of Connie Mack III, U.S. Congressman from Florida first elected in 2004.

The Shrivers

The Stevensons

Main article: Stevenson family

The Stevensons of Illinois have produced a number of important political figures:

The Talmadges

The Tafts

Main article: Taft family

The Tafts of Ohio have produced a number of leaders on the national stage, including:

Kingsley A. Taft, U.S. senator from Ohio and chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Sheldon Taft, candidate for justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

The Udalls

Main article: Udall family

The Udalls of Arizona are a politically notable family in the West, among them

See also: List of well-known U.S. presidential relatives

External references

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