Celebs Who Made Shocking Runs In Politics
With what appears to be an eye on the White House, Dr. Ben Carson is the latest in a long list of celebrities to try his “gifted hands” at politics.
photo: WENN
From acting, to adult films, wrestling and other pro sports, the list of celebs-turned-politicians is actually rather long with varied results. Here are other stars who made surprising political runs in their careers.
—
Photo: WENN
phot: WENN
Wyclef Jean: Haitian election officials stopped producer and singer/songwriter Wyclef Jean’s bid to become the President of Haiti in its tracks in 2010 when they disqualified his candidacy.
photo: WENN
Ronald Reagan: He became president of the Screen Actors Guild and governor of California before serving two consecutive terms as POTUS in 1980.
photo: WENN
Clint Eastwood: The Dirty Harry actor made a clean sweep into politics by being elected the mayor of Carmel, California in 1986.
photo: WENN
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The legendary action star won an 11-week campaign after a runoff election to become Governor of California in 2003.
photo: WENN
Kevin Johnson: Politics was nothing for this former Phoenix Suns’ point guard after he survived having Charles Barkley as a teammate.
photo: WENN
Gary Coleman: Bring on the “What you talkin’ about, Willis?” jokes. The late Coleman threw his hat in the ring after California Governor Gray Davis was recalled in 2003.
photo: WENN
Al Franken: He made the jump from “Daily Affirmations With Stuart Smalley” on “Saturday Night Live” to the daily minutiae of being a Minnesota senator after his 2009 election.
photo: WENN
Jesse Ventura: The former US Navy SEAL and WWE Hall of Fame member served as the thirty eighth Governor of Minnesota from 1999 through 2003.
photo: WENN
Manny Pacquiao: He won’t fight Floyd Mayweather, but he managed to get elected to the Philippines’ House of Representatives in 2010. He serves the district of Sarangani.
photo: WENN
Howard Stern: The self-proclaimed “King of All Media” had an ill-fated gubernatorial run in 1994 after securing a nomination from the Libertarian Party.
photo: WENN
Shirley Temple: After retiring from acting at the age of 22, Temple launched a failed bid for Congress.
photo: WENN
Clay Aiken: In May of 2014, the former “American Idol” headliner officially became the Democratic Party nominee for the second congressional district in North Carolina. He’ll likely face tougher competition than Ruben Studdard.
photo: WENN
Sonny Bono: After rising to fame with Cher, Bono established himself as a serious political player by being elected as Mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988 and securing a seat in the House of Representatives in 1994.
