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List of United States political families

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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, the Roosevelts with New York, the Daleys with Illinois, the Muhlenbergs with Pennsylvania, and the Tafts with Ohio. Other political families are less connected with a specific state; the Bush family began in Ohio and 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.

Contents

[edit] Families

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

[edit] The Adamses

Main article: Adams political family

  • Samuel Adams, (1722–1803), organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
    • Joseph Allen, {1749–1827), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1810–1811; nephew of Samuel Adams.
      • Charles Allen, (1797–1869), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1849–1853; son of Joseph Allen.
  • John Adams, (1735–1826), first Vice President (1789–1797) and second President (1791–1801) of the United States; second cousin of Samuel Adams.
    • John Quincy Adams, (1767–1848), U.S. senator from Massachusetts, 1803–1808; U.S. Secretary of State, 1817–1825; sixth President, 1825–1829, and the first who was the son of a President; son of John Adams.
      • Charles Francis Adams, Sr., (1807–1886), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1859–1861; U.S. Ambassador to Britain, 1861–1868;, son of John Quincy Adams.

[edit] The Baldwin, Evarts, Hoar & Sherman family

Main article: Baldwin, Hoar & Sherman family

An exceedingly large political family spanning the country's history. See the above article for details. Especially notable figures include:

[edit] The Bayard and Clayton family

Main article: Bayard family

[edit] The Bayhs

Main article: Bayh family

[edit] The Blairs

[edit] The Blunts

[edit] The Borens

Main Article: Boren family

[edit] The Breckinridges

[edit] 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.)

[edit] The Bushes

Main article: Bush family

See also: The Fishes and The Walkers

[edit] The Byrds and Floods

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

[edit] The Carnahans

  • A.S.J. Carnahan (1897–1968), U.S. Representative from Missouri, 1945–1947 and 1949–1961; U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone, 1961–1963.
    • Melvin E. Carnahan (1934–2000), governor of Missouri, 1993–2000; died in plane crash while running for United States Senate, posthumously elected; son of A.S.J. Carnahan, husband of Jean Carnahan.
    • Jean Carnahan (b. 1933), wife of Mel Carnahan, appointed to Senate in his stead, 2000, served 2001–2002; mother of Russ and Robin Carnahan.
      • Russ Carnahan (b. 1958), U.S. Representative from Missouri, 2005-; son of Mel and Jean Carnahan.
      • Robin Carnahan (b. ?), Missouri Secretary of State, 2005-; daughter of Mel and Jean Carnahan.

[edit] The Carrolls

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

[edit] The Carters

[edit] The Caseys

The Caseys are a family originally from New York City, but settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania after World War II.

[edit] The Celebrezzes

[edit] The Chandlers

[edit] The Churches and Clarks

[edit] The Clintons

[edit] The Clintons and Rodhams

  • William J. Clinton (b. 1946), 42nd President, 1993–2001; husband of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton (b. 1947), U.S. Senator from New York, 2001-Present; US First Lady and wife of Bill Clinton, 1993-2001.
  • Hugh Rodham (brother of Hillary), Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Florida (1994).
  • Barbara Boxer (former mother-in-law of Hillary's other brother Tony Rodham), U.S. Senator from California, 1993-Present.

Note: Bill Clinton (born William Blythe) is not known to be related to the earlier Clinton family. He is, however, third cousin twice removed of Congressman James A. Lockhart.

[edit] The Cornings

[edit] The Crowninshields

Main article: Crowninshield family

[edit] The Cuomos

[edit] The D'Alesandros

[edit] 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.

[edit] The DeWines

[edit] The Dingells

[edit] The Dodds

[edit] The Doles

  • Bob Dole (b. 1923), U.S. Representative from Kansas, 1961–1969; U.S. Senator from Kansas, 1969–1996; Chairman of Republican National Committee, 1971–1973; Republican nominee for Vice President, 1976; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1980 and 1988; Republican nominee for President, 1996.
  • Elizabeth Dole (b. 1936), U.S. Secretary of Transportation, 1983–1987; U.S. Secretary of Labor, 1989–1991; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 2000; U.S. Senator from North Carolina, 2003-; wife of Bob Dole.

[edit] The Dulleses

Main article: Dulles family

[edit] 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 of 1789 for the region of Nemours in France. The du Pont political dynasty is based on the family's manufacturing empire in Delaware.

[edit] The Edmondsons

[edit] The Eisenhowers

Main article: Eisenhower family

[edit] The Feltons

Main article: Felton family

[edit] The Fishes

See also: The Bushes; The Keans

[edit] The Fords of Tennessee

  • Harold Ford, Sr. (b. 1945), Tennessee legislator, US Representative, Tennessee, 1975-1997
    • Harold Ford, Jr. (b. 1970), US Representative, Tennessee, 1997-2007, failed US Senate candidate, 2006; son of Harold Sr.
    • Jake Ford (b. 1972), failed US Representative candidate, 2006; son of Harold Sr.
Note: The Fords are unrelated to President Gerald Ford.

[edit] The Franklin, Claiborne, Pell and Boggs Family

Main article: Franklin, Claiborne, Pell and Boggs family

[edit] The Frelinghuysens

[edit] The Fergusons

[edit] The Gilligans and the Sebeliuses

Main articles: Gilligan family and Sebelius family

[edit] The Grants

[edit] The Gores

Main article: Gore family

Writer Gore Vidal has asserted that his grandfather, Thomas Pryor Gore, who served as U.S. senator from Oklahoma, was related to the Gores of Tennessee, but no such relationship has been proven.

[edit] The Hagans

[edit] The Harlans

[edit] The Harrisons

Main article: Harrison family The Harrisons are related by marriage to the Lees, Washingtons, and Randolphs of Virginia.

[edit] The Hearsts

[edit] The Hiesters

Main article: Hiester Family/Muhlenberg Family

[edit] The Houghtons

The Houghtons are heirs to the Corning glass fortune.

[edit] The Humphreys