Top 10 Celebrities Who Ran for Political Office

After receiving critical acclaim for roles as a cowboy in the “Man with No Name” trilogy and rough cop Harry Callahan in the “Dirty Harry” film series, Clint Eastwood ran for and held the office of mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California between 1986-88. Historically, though he’s always been vocal about politics, Eastwood has shied away from categorizing his political leanings, having endorsed both Republicans and Democrats, and himself becoming a nonpartisan mayor. However more recently, Eastwood has identified as a Libertarian and, after endorsing politicians like Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon previously, supported Mitt Romney in 2012, leading to a rather awkward talk to an invisible Obama at the 2012 Republican National Convention.

Most famous for her sitcom series “Roseanne,” this comedienne announced her intention to become the Green Party candidate in 2012’s Presidential election, hoping to focus on the economy, personal well-being and meditation. After she failed to win the nomination for the Greens, she decided to instead run as the Peace and Freedom Party candidate. Barr came in sixth in the election, receiving just over 50 thousand votes across the country. Perhaps most odd was her declaration that she was simultaneously running for Prime Minister of Israel. However, Roseanne poked fun at her political ambitions with a guest starring role on “Portlandia,” to let us know she still had her sense of humor.

Starting out as the internationally adored, curly-haired child star featured in hits like “Curly Top” and “Bright Eyes,” Shirley Temple eventually grew up and developed political ambitions. After doing some work for the Republican Party, she attempted to run for congress to fill the vacated seat in California's 11th congressional district, but failed. However, her political career didn’t end there: she became an active member of the United Nations, being appointed to the 24th UN General Assembly in 1969 by Richard Nixon, Ambassador to Ghana in 1974 as well as Chief of Protocol of the United States – both by Gerald Ford – and finally Ambassador to Czechoslovakia by George H.W. Bush in 1989.

Franken was most famous as a writer and sometimes performer on “Saturday Night Live” during its earliest years and again in the late-‘80s and early-‘90s, particularly for his character, self-help expert Stuart Smalley. He was also known for his political satire, and this interest in politics followed him after he left “SNL,” initially manifesting in the form of activism, a radio show and novels critical of conservatism. However, he didn’t run for office until the 2008 U.S. senate election in Minnesota, when he ran as a Democrat and only just beat incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. Franken assumed office as Junior Minnesota Senator in 2009 and was reelected five years later.

An entrepreneur famous for his wheelings and dealings in Manhattan real estate, it was inevitable that The Donald would bring his significant wealth, corporate acumen and larger-than-life personality to the political arena. Somewhere along the way, Trump went from an eccentric businessman with a quirky hairdo to a right-leaning political force with a really quirky hairdo. While he’s donated to candidates in both parties, Trump had made noises about running for President since the late-‘80s, before he officially threw his toupee into the ring ahead of the 2016 election. In an effort to “Make America Great Again,” Trump offered himself up to the Republican Party, spouting many golden soundbites along the way.

He shot to fame in the 1960s as half of the singing duo Sonny and Cher, keeping himself busy for the next decades as a songwriter and TV actor. Eventually, Bono ran for mayor of Palm Springs, California following some bureaucratic issues he’d encountered when trying to open a restaurant there. He won, serving from 1988-92, and parlayed that experience into a job representing California’s 44th congressional district in the U.S House of Representatives from 1995 until his death in 1998, when he was succeeded by his wife Mary. The political legacy he left included the Copyright Term Extension Act, which was named in his honor.

He was a U.S. Navy man who became a prominent professional wrestler in the ‘70s and ‘80s and then successfully transitioned to Hollywood, but Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura wanted to make his mark in politics as well. He then decided to run for mayor of Brooklyn Park in his home state of Minnesota and served from 1991-94. He moved up in politics in 1998 when he was the Reform Party candidate for Governor of Minnesota and unexpectedly won, eventually joining the Independence Party and staying in the job until 2003. His election prompted bumper stickers that read “My governor can beat up your governor.”

An accomplished lawyer who had a role in the Watergate hearings, Thompson began a career as a character actor when a trial he had been involved in was made into a movie and he was asked to portray himself. He took on a wide range of roles, appearing in “The Hunt for Red October,” “Days of Thunder,” “Die Hard 2” and “Baby’s Day Out” – among others. This Republican took hispolitical career to the next level in 1994, when he became Tennessee’s Representative in the U.S. Senate. Towards the end of his last term, he returned to acting and took on the role of Manhattan’s District Attorney in the “Law & Order” TV franchise.

This Austrian-born star muscleman went from blockbuster action hits like “Predator” and the “Terminator” franchise to politicaloffice! A Republican since he was introduced to the party upon arriving in America in 1968, Schwarzenegger was appointed chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1990, after being nominated by George H.W. Bush. However, he’s never strayed too far from Hollywood, which is why he ran for office in California. The action hero was elected 38th Governor of California, serving as the Governator from 2003-11. Rumors have also circulated that he’s interested in running for POTUS; however, as he was not born in the U.S., that would require a change to the Constitution.

Before we elect our number on pick, here are some honorable mentions:
- Ben Jones
Representative, Georgia’s 4th District [Democrat] (1989-93)
- George Murphy
U.S. Senator, California [Republican] (1965-71)
- Clay Aiken
Failed Bid for U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina’s 2nd District [Democrat] (2014)

Starting his career on the big screen in the late-1930s, Reagan’s acting work was interrupted by his military service. Earning the permanent nickname of “The Gipper” thanks to his film “Knute Rockne, All American,” Reagan’s last film role before he truly began to focus on his political career was as the villain in the 1964 film “The Killers.” Shortly thereafter, Reagan ran for and held the office of Governor of California from 1967-75, having campaigned as a Republican. He attempted to oust Gerald Ford as Republic Party Presidential candidate in 1976 but failed. However, four years later he won the spot and was elected President, serving two terms and becoming a conservative icon in the process.

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