Yahoo Lifestyle 12 Celebs You Probably Forgot Ran For Office, And 4 Who Actually Won
Well, after a long campaign season, we've finally made it to Election Day! We'll soon find out who will be the next president of the United States: VP Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Images, Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Did you know Donald wasn't the first — and probably won't be the last — celebrity to run for office? If you need a refresher, here's a look back at some of the famous people who hopped into the political pool...and even some who actually won:
1.Kanye West
The music icon ran for president in 2020, after officially announcing it in a tweet: "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION"
Despite talking about running for years, he ultimately dropped out of the race.
2.Clint Eastwood
Along with being featured in more than 60 films, Clint also served as the former non-partisan mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1986 to 1988.
3.Caitlyn Jenner
The former Olympian and reality star ran on the Republican ticket to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in April 2021.
"I'm running because I know the only thing Gavin Newsom will disrupt is our economy and the livelihoods of innocent Californians," she said in a statement. "There is no other candidate in this race with the experience, leadership, and ability to take on the status quo in order to bring us out of the long, dark shadow of Gavin Newsom's California."
Caitlyn earned just 1 percent of the vote in California's special election.
4.Ben Savage
This Boy Meets World star announced his bid for a seat on the city council of West Hollywood, California in 2022, where he's called home for some time now.
"There are serious challenges ahead and West Hollywood deserves sensible, honest and strong leadership to face them," Ben wrote on his former campaign website. "We need new leaders with a fresh perspective who are ready to begin tackling these issues."
He was projected to come in ninth place, earning 6 percent of the vote. But that didn't stop his political journey. In 2023, he announced he'd be running for Congress as a Democrat in California's 30th District seat, currently held by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank.
5.Jerry Springer
Before cementing his name in TV history with his salacious talk show The Jerry Springer Show, Jerry started his career as a political reporter. He had an unsuccessful run at Congress in 1970, but went on to become the Mayor of Cincinnati for one year (1977 to 1978).
6.Stacey Dash
Stacey, who's widely known for portraying Dionne in Clueless, had her congressional run in California in 2018, demanding people, "Put up or shut up." But it was short-lived, as she dropped out just nearly a month later.
7.Arnold Schwarzenegger
Terminator himself is known for being a bodybuilder-turned-actor, but did you also know he was a governor for eight years? That's right, he served two terms as the governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
He looked back on his political legacy on the anniversary of his election.
8.Howard Stern
During a March 1994 episode of The Howard Stern Show, Howard announced he'd be challenging Mario Cuomo for re-election for governor of New York. He ran under the Libertarian ticket with these as his major plans: reinstate the death penalty, remove highway tolls to improve traffic flow, and limit road work to graveyard shift hours.
But he ultimately dropped out of the race after he refused to disclose his personal finances.
9.Cynthia Nixon
The Sex and the City star announced her candidacy for governor of New York in March 2018. "New York is my home. I've never lived anywhere else," she said in a campaign video. "I was given chances I just don't see for most of New York's kids today. Our leaders are letting us down."
She lost the Democratic endorsement to Andrew Cuomo.
10.Wyclef Jean
In 2010, Fugees founder and member Wyclef Jean announced his bid to run for president of Haiti, his native country. Unfortunately, his dream didn't make it far off the ground after he was rejected by Haiti's electoral council. They did not provide a reason for dismissing his bid, but the musician believes the decision was made because of the country's law that candidates must be residents for five consecutive years.
11.Diane Neal
This Law & Order: SVU star ran as an Independent in 2018 in the New York Congressional election, after winning an appeal about her petition signatures to get on the ballot. This was for a spot in the US House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district.
Diane would eventually lose to a Democratic candidate.
12.Lastly, Ronald Reagan
While many know Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States, serving two full terms from 1981 to 1989, some would be surprised to learn that before he sat in the White House he was a sports broadcaster and a famous Hollywood actor. He kicked off his movie career in 1937, and it lasted for nearly 30 years.
Do you know any other celebs who dabbled in politics? Let me know in the comments!
