Famous People Who Held Political Office a to z

Richard III was king of England for two turbulent years. He is best known for being accused of murdering his nephews to protect his throne.

Bill Richardson served in Clinton's cabinet and as New Mexico’s governor but he was unsuccessful in his bid for a 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

John Roberts became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after he was nominated by George W. Bush in 2005.

The son of John D. Rockefeller Jr., Nelson Rockefeller served four terms as governor of New York. He was later appointed vice president under President Gerald Ford.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only U.S. president to be elected four times. He led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.

Ségolène Royal is a French politician who has run for president and worked as a prominent leader of the Socialist Party.

Kevin Rudd is an Australian politician who served as leader of the Australian Labor Party from 2006 to 1010 and as prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010.

Donald Rumsfeld is a political figure known for being the secretary of defense under both President Gerald Ford and President George W. Bush.

U.S. Representative Paul Ryan is a Republican from Wisconsin known for his conservative positions. In the 2012 presidential election, Ryan was the running mate of Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who was defeated by President Barack Obama.

Sargon is an ancient Mesopotamian ruler who established what is thought to be the world’s first empire, reigning during the 23rd century B.C.

Nicolas Sarkozy served as France's 23rd president from 2007 to 2012. His term was marked by controversy, which included his marriage to Carla Bruni in 2008.

Arnold Schwarzenegger first gained fame as a body builder, using that as a launching point to become a huge Hollywood star and, later, the governor of California.

Junior Senator Tim Scott is the seventh African American to win election to the U.S. Senate. He is also a former U.S. representative for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

Mobutu Sésé Seko was president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was also known as Zaire for much of his reign, from 1965 to 1997.

Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel's 11th prime minister.

Chandra Shekhar Singh was a politician and legislator who served as Prime Minister of India from 1990-1991.

Roger Sherman was an American government leader best known as a founding father that signed and drafted the Declaration of Independence and signed the U.S. Constitution.

Greek statesman and poet Solon is considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. He created a code of laws that became the basis of Athenian democracy.

Arlen Specter was Philadelphia District Attorney and was elected to the senate five times. He helped initiate the reauthorization of the Patriot Act.

Jerry Springer is an American talk show host, best known for his tabloid talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. He is also a former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism.

Edwin Stanton served as secretary of war under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He later served under President Andrew Johnson.

Alexander Stephens was the Confederate vice president during the American Civil War.

Ted Stevens was a U.S. senator from Alaska, and the longest-serving Republican senator in American history (1968-2009).

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is the former IMF chief who faced sexual assault charges that were dismissed.

Sukarno is best known as the first president of the Republic of Indonesia.

Charles Sumner was a U.S. Representative best known an anti-slavery advocate who authored the nation’s first civil rights legislation.

Percy Sutton was a Freedom Rider, civil rights activist and prominent African-American lawyer best known for representing Malcolm X.

William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, becoming the only person to have served as both a U.S. chief justice and president.

Taksin was an 18th century Thai general and king.

The first female prime minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher was a controversial figurehead of conservative ideology during her time in office.

Theodora was empress of the Byzantine Empire from 527 A.D. to 548 A.D. She greatly influenced her husband, Justinian I's political decisions.

Republican John Thune won the 2004 Senate election against Democrat Tom Daschle to become senator of South Dakota.

Strom Thurmond served as a U.S. senator for South Carolina from 1956 to 2003, during which time he switched from Democrat to Republican due to his opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He resigned from the Senate at age 100—becoming the oldest congressman in U.S. history.

Tiberius was an ancient Roman emperor who ruled from year 14 to 37.

Titus was Roman Emperor from 79-81 AD who--during his short reign--completed the Colosseum and dealt with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend of Raynham, was an 18th century British secretary of state who became known as "Turnip Townshend" for his agricultural innovations.

Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, famous for his youthful energy, his stance against a separate Quebec and suppressing violent revolt.

Rafael Trujillo was a dictator of the Dominican Republic for decades. He was assassinated in 1961.

Alexander Lucius Twilight is thought to be the first African American to graduate from an American university (Middlebury College, 1823).

Martin Van Buren was the eighth president of the United States. His shrewd dealings laid the foundations for the Democratic Party and the modern political machine.

Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura went on to a career in acting and politics, becoming the governor of Minnesota.

Rudolf Virchow was a German pathologist and statesman, widely credited for his advancements in public health, particularly with his cell theory.

George Washington was a leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolution, and was the first to become U.S. president.

Harold Washington became the first African-American mayor of Chicago in 1983.

Anthony Wayne was an American general and U.S. Representative best known for winning the Battle of Fallen Timbers which removed Native American claims to Ohio and the surrounding area.

Liberian soccer star George Weah was named African, European and World Player of the Year in 1995 and has since become a prominent humanitarian and politician.

Daniel Webster was an American lawyer and Whig Part leader who served as a congressman and secretary of state.

Gideon Welles was a 19th century journalist and politician who served as secretary of the U.S. Navy under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

John White was a British artist, explorer, cartographer and governor of the English settlement on Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina, U.S.).

Eric Williams formed the People's National Movement for an independent Trinidad and Tobago, and served as that country's first prime minister.

Henry Wilson was the 18th vice president of the United States, serving from 1873 to 1875 with President Ulysses S. Grant.

Paul Wolfowitz is a U.S. government official who is best known as the leading architect of the Iraq War under President George Bush's administration.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was lord chancellor during the reign of Henry VIII, becoming a major figure in the king’s administration.

Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese communist leader, the most powerful figure in the People's Republic of China from the late 1970s until his death in 1997.

Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was the 13th president of Nigeria for 3 years before his death in 2010.

Jiang Zemin was president of China from 1993-2003 and worked to improve relations with the United States.

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was Pakistani chief of Army staff, chief martial-law administrator, and president of Pakistan (1978–88).