Name |
Sport |
Background |
State |
Office(s) |
Term |
Party |
Dave Albritton |
Track and field |
1936 Olympic high jump medal winner |
OH |
State Representative |
1961–1972 |
Republican |
Colin Allred |
Football |
Played for the Tennessee Titans |
TX |
U.S. Representative |
2019–present |
Democratic |
Randy Bass |
Baseball |
Played for the Hanshin Tigers |
OK |
State Senator |
2005–2019 |
Democratic |
Dave Bing |
Basketball |
Hall of Fame shooting guard at Syracuse University and three NBA teams, including the Detroit Pistons |
MI |
Mayor of Detroit |
2009–2013 |
Democratic |
Brandon Bochenski |
Ice hockey |
Played wing for the University of North Dakota and several AHL and NHL teams |
ND |
Mayor of Grand Forks |
2020–present |
Republican |
Bill Bradley |
Basketball |
Hall of Fame small forward at Princeton University, 1964 Olympic gold medal team, and the New York Knicks |
NJ |
U.S. Senator |
1979–1997 |
Democratic |
Candidate for President |
2000 |
Fred H. Brown |
Baseball |
Outfielder for the Boston Beaneaters |
NH |
U.S. Attorney |
1914–1922 |
Democratic |
Governor |
1923–1925 |
U.S. Senator |
1933–1939 |
United States Comptroller General |
1939–1940 |
Jim Bunning |
Baseball |
Hall of Fame pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers |
KY |
State Senator |
1980–1984 |
Republican |
Nominee for Governor |
1983 |
U.S. Representative |
1987–1999 |
U.S. Senator |
1999–2011 |
Ben Nighthorse Campbell |
Judo |
Captain of the US team at the 1964 Summer Olympics |
CO |
State Representative |
1983–1987 |
Democratic (before 1995) Republican (1995–present) |
U.S. Representative |
1987–1993 |
U.S. Senator |
1993–2005 |
Sharice Davids |
Mixed martial arts |
Fought professionally, 2013–2014 |
KS |
U.S. Representative |
2018–present |
Democratic |
Terry Dehere |
Basketball |
Seton Hall University, 1989–93; Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Vancouver Grizzlies, 1993–99 |
NJ |
Councilor of Jersey City |
2001–2007 |
Independent |
Member of the Jersey City Board of Education |
2007–present |
LaVern Dilweg |
Football |
Green Bay Packers, 1927–1934 |
WI |
U.S. Representative |
1943–1945 |
Democratic |
Arne Duncan |
Basketball |
Played at Harvard University and went on to play in Australia's National Basketball League from 1987 to 1991 |
IL |
CEO of Chicago Public Schools |
2001–2009 |
Democratic |
U.S. Secretary of Education |
2009–2016 |
Gerald Ford |
Football |
Center, linebacker, and long snapper for University of Michigan, 1932–1935, assistant varsity football coach for Yale University, 1935–1937, junior varsity head football coach for Yale University, 1938[1] |
MI |
U.S. Representative |
1949–1973 |
Republican |
Vice President |
1973–1974 |
President |
1974–1977 |
Dick Fosbury |
Track and Field |
1968 Olympic high jump gold medal winner |
ID |
Candidate for State Representative |
2014 |
Democratic |
Commissioner of Blaine County |
2019–2023 |
Steve Garvey |
Baseball |
First baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres |
CA |
Candidate for Senate |
2024 |
Republican |
Anthony Gonzalez |
Football |
Ohio State University, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots |
OH |
U.S. Representative |
2019–2023 |
Republican |
Glenn Jacobs |
Professional wrestling |
Independent circuit (1992–1995) and in WWE (1995–present), most notably as Kane. Also played football and basketball at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University). |
TN |
Mayor of Knox County |
2018–present |
Republican |
Edward J. King |
Football |
Guard and Defensive end for the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Colts |
MA |
Governor of Massachusetts |
1979–1983 |
Democratic |
Fob James |
Football |
All-American halfback for Auburn University, 1952–1955 and Montreal Alouettes, 1956 |
AL |
Governor |
1979–1983 |
Democratic |
1995–1999 |
Republican |
Caitlyn Jenner |
Decathlon |
1972 Summer Olympics, 1975 Pan American Games, and 1976 Summer Olympics |
CA |
Candidate for Governor |
2021 |
Republican |
Kevin Johnson |
Basketball |
University of California, Berkeley, 1983–1987; Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns, 1987–2000 |
CA |
Mayor of Sacramento |
2008–2016 |
Democratic |
Walter Johnson |
Baseball |
Hall of Fame pitcher for the Washington Senators, 1907–27 |
MD |
Commissioner of Montgomery County |
1938 |
Republican |
Candidate for U.S. Representative |
1940 |
Hayes Jones |
Running |
Winner of 110m hurdles at the 1964 Summer Olympics |
MI |
State Representative |
2006 |
Democratic |
Jim Jordan |
Wrestling |
Two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, 1985–1986, assistant wrestling coach for Ohio State University, 1987–1995 |
OH |
State Representative |
1995–2000 |
Republican |
State Senator |
2001–2006 |
U.S. Representative |
2007–present |
Michelle Kwan |
Figure skating |
Two-time Olympic medalist (silver in 1998, bronze in 2002), a five-time World champion (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003) and a nine-time U.S. champion (1996, 1998–2005) |
CA |
U.S. Ambassador to Belize |
2022–present |
Democratic |
Jack Kemp |
Football |
Played quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, 1962–69 |
NY |
U.S. Representative |
1971–1989 |
Republican |
Candidate for President |
1988 |
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development |
1989–1993 |
Nominee for Vice President |
1996 |
Steve Largent |
Football |
Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, 1976–89 |
OK |
U.S. Representative |
1995–2003 |
Republican |
Nominee for Governor |
2002 |
Don Lash |
Running |
Set a world record for the two-mile run in 1936, competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics |
IN |
State Representative |
1973–1982 |
Republican |
Bob Mathias |
Track and field |
Decathlon winner at the Summer Olympics in 1948 and 1952 |
CA |
U.S. Representative |
1967–1975 |
Republican |
Tom McMillen |
Basketball |
Played for the University of Maryland and the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Bullets |
MD |
U.S. Representative |
1987–1993 |
Democratic |
Wayne Messam |
Football |
Wide receiver for Florida State University, and in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, 1997 |
FL |
City Commissioner of Miramar |
2011–2015 |
Democratic |
Mayor of Miramar |
2015–present |
Candidate for President |
2020 |
Ralph Metcalfe |
Running |
Medalist at the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics |
IL |
U.S. Representative |
1971–1978 |
Democratic |
Jack Mildren |
Football |
Quarterback at the University of Oklahoma and with the Baltimore Colts and New England Patriots |
OK |
Lieutenant Governor |
1991–1995 |
Democratic |
Nominee for Governor |
1994 |
Wilmer Mizell |
Baseball |
Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Mets, 1952–62 |
NC |
U.S. Representative |
1969–1975 |
Republican |
Markwayne Mullin |
Mixed martial arts |
Fought professionally, 2006–2007 |
OK |
U.S. Representative |
2013–2023 |
Republican |
U.S. Senator |
2023–present |
William D. Mullins |
Baseball |
Pitcher in the Washington Senators minor league system |
MA |
State Representative |
1977–1986 |
Democratic |
Tito Ortiz |
Mixed Martial Arts |
Ultimate Fighting Championship |
CA |
Member of the Huntington Beach City Council |
2020–2021 |
Republican |
Tom Osborne |
Football |
Head football coach for the University of Nebraska, 1973–97; University of Nebraska athletic director, 2007–2013 |
NE |
U.S. Representative |
2001–2007 |
Republican |
Candidate for Governor |
2006 |
Burgess Owens |
Football |
Safety for the University of Miami (1970–72), New York Jets (1973–79), and Oakland Raiders (1980–82) |
UT |
U.S. Representative |
2021–present |
Republican |
Alan Page |
Football |
Played for University of Notre Dame and the Minnesota Vikings |
MN |
Associate Justice of the State Supreme Court |
1993–2015 |
Independent |
B.J. Penn |
Mixed martial arts |
Mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner |
HI |
Candidate for Governor |
2022 |
Republican |
Jon Runyan Sr. |
Football |
Offensive tackle for University of Michigan, and in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans (1996–99), Philadelphia Eagles (2000–08), and San Diego Chargers (2009) |
NJ |
U.S. Representative |
2011–2015 |
Republican |
Ed Rutkowski |
Football |
Wide receiver and later quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, 1963–68 |
NY |
Executive of Erie County |
1979–1987 |
Republican |
Deputy Commissioner of the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
1995–2006 |
Jim Ryun |
Running |
The last American to hold the world record in the mile run, competitor in the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Summer Olympics, first high schooler to break the four-minute mile |
KS |
U.S. Representative |
1996–2007 |
Republican |
Jim Schwantz |
Football |
Linebacker for Purdue University, and in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers |
IL |
Mayor of Palatine |
2009–present |
Independent |
Arnold Schwarzenegger |
Bodybuilding |
Mr. Olympia from 1970 to 1973 |
CA |
Governor |
2003–2011 |
Republican |
Pius Schwert |
Baseball |
Catcher for the Penn Quakers and New York Yankees |
NY |
Clerk of Erie County |
1934–1938 |
Democratic |
U.S. Representative |
1939–1941 |
Heath Shuler |
Football |
Played for the University of Tennessee and the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders |
NC |
U.S. Representative |
2007–2013 |
Democratic |
John K. Tener |
Baseball |
Played for the Orioles in 1885, Chicago White Stockings from 1888 to 1889, and the Pittsburgh Burghers for the 1890 season. |
PA |
U.S. Representative |
1909–1911 |
Republican |
Governor |
1911–1915 |
Tommy Tuberville |
Football |
Played for Southern Arkansas University; assistant coach at Arkansas State University, the University of Miami, and Texas A&M University; head coach at the University of Mississippi, Auburn University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Cincinnati |
AL |
U.S. Senator |
2021–present |
Republican |
Mo Udall |
Basketball |
Played for the University of Arizona, and later with the Denver Nuggets for one year |
AZ |
U.S. Representative |
1961–1991 |
Democratic |
Jesse Ventura |
Professional wrestling |
American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Federation |
MN |
Mayor of Brooklyn Park |
1991–1995 |
Independence |
Governor |
1999–2003 |
Herschel Walker |
Football |
National Football League |
GA |
Candidate for U.S. Senator |
2021-22 |
Republican |
J. C. Watts |
Football |
Played for University of Oklahoma and the Ottawa Rough Riders |
OK |
U.S. Representative |
1995–2003 |
Republican |
Byron White |
Football |
Played for NFL teams Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers during 1938 and 1941 |
CO |
U.S. Deputy Attorney General |
1961–1962 |
Democratic |
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court |
1962–1993 |
Frank White |
Baseball |
World Series champion who played for the Kansas City Royals for 18 years. |
MO |
Member of the Jackson County Legislature |
2014–2016 |
Democratic |
Executive of Jackson County |
2016–present |
Dwayne Woodruff |
Football |
Cornerback with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1979–1990) |
PA |
Judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas |
2005–present |
Independent |