8 of the most unconventional candidates who stumbled into politics
In decades past, it was often difficult for non-traditional candidates to break into the US political scene. But now, they're what many voters prefer.
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- In decades past, Americans often voted for candidates who had considerable political pedigrees.
- But there've also been well-known figures who simply decided — for whatever reason — to give politics a try.
- Many voters are no longer giving a first preference to figures with extensive political backgrounds.
For generations, individuals who entered politics in the US generally followed similar career trajectories. Many of them have been lawyers who worked their way up to Congress or the Governor's Mansion from city councils, county boards, and state legislatures. For these figures, their prominent roles led them to occupy some of the most influential positions in government.
But in recent decades, extensive government experience has often become a political liability, as nontraditional candidates have latched onto the frustrations of an electorate that has witnessed increased gridlock and polarization in the states as well as Capitol Hill.
Donald Trump effectively used the argument against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, as many voters that year were looking for a "change agent" candidate without the more traditional Washington pedigree.
But the former president certainly isn't the first person to have used this argument when running for office.
Here's a look at several figures from nontraditional backgrounds who jumped into politics:
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During Reagan's two terms in the White House, he became one of the most consequential Republican presidents in modern times, serving as an ideological beacon for conservatives across the country.
But decades before Reagan's presidential tenure from 1981 to 1989, his career was anchored in media and film. In the 1930s, he served as a sports announcer for WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, calling University of Iowa football games and Chicago Cubs baseball games.
Reagan then headed off to Hollywood, where he acted in a string of films — including several Western movies — from the late 1930s through the 1960s. He also served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 to 1952 and from 1959 to 1960.
In the 1960s, he made a full leap into politics, giving his famed "A Time for Choosing" speech in support of 1964 GOP presidential nominee Barry Goldwater. The address catapulted him to national stardom and helped him launch a successful bid for the 1966 California governorship, when he knocked off then-Democratic Gov. Pat Brown. In 1970, Reagan was reelected as governor.
Reagan sought the 1976 GOP presidential nomination, but lost his bid to then-President Gerald Ford, who in turn was defeated in the general election by former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter.
But Reagan won the GOP presidential nomination four years later, ousting Carter from office.
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Jesse "the Body" Ventura rose to prominence as a World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler in the 1970s and 1980s.
And he later acted in several films, including the 1987 sci-fi film "Predator" alongside future California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But he entered the political world in 1990, when he was elected as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. He served in the role from 1991 to 1995.
In 1998, Ventura was elected as Minnesota's governor, winning 37% of the vote as the Reform Party candidate in a multi-candidate race against Democrat Hubert "Skip" Humphrey III and Republican Norm Coleman.
Ventura declined to run for reelection in 2002.
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Franken rose to fame as a writer and cast member on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in the 1980s and 1990s.
He later hosted "The Al Franken Show" on the progressive-minded Air America Radio.
But Franken fully entered politics in 2008 when he ran against then-Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota in what was one of the most competitive races in the country that November. Due to the razor-thin margin of the race and ensuing ballot recounting and litigation, he was not sworn in until July 2009.
Franken was easily reelected to a second term in 2014 but stepped down from office in January 2018 after facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
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After graduating from Wesleyan University, Hickenlooper began his professional career as a geologist before co-founding the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver.
Hickenlooper used his business background to launch himself into Democratic politics, serving as the mayor of Denver from 2003 to 2011 and as governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019.
In 2019, Hickenlooper jumped into the 2020 presidential race, but was unable to gain traction in a primary that included now-President Joe Biden.
Hickenlooper soon entered the 2020 Colorado Senate race and eventually defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner.
AP Photo/Jack Dempsey
Schwarzenegger rose to international prominence as a professional bodybuilder, winning the title of Mr. Universe in 1967, when he was 20 years old.
Beginning in the 1980s, he jumpstarted what became a highly lucrative acting career, starring in hits like "The Terminator" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," along with well-known films like "Predator," "Total Recall," "True Lies," "Kindergarten Cop," and "Eraser," among others.
From 1990 through 1993, Schwarzenegger chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during the administration of George H.W. Bush.
Schwarzenegger — who at the time was married to Kennedy family scion Maria Shriver — later launched his candidacy in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election. California voters that year backed the recall, which sent then-Democratic Gov. Gray Davis packing and brought Schwarzenegger into office as he was the top choice among voters to replace Davis.
As a member of the GOP's moderate wing, Schwarzenegger championed initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and held more liberal views on abortion rights than many within his party. He was reelected in 2006 — with the near-unanimous support of Republicans, nearly a quarter of Democratic support, and the backing of a majority of Independents — and left office in 2011.
Schwarzenegger has since been critical of the California Republican Party, telling The New York Times Magazine last year that the state GOP had "done a horrible job" in representing its citizens.
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Cynthia Nixon has been acting since 1979, with a laundry list of well-regarded television and film roles, as well as Tony Award-winning performances in the Broadway plays "Rabbit Hole" and "The Little Foxes."
But it was her portrayal of sharp-witted lawyer Miranda Hobbes in the smash HBO series "Sex and the City" that made her one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment when the show originally aired from 1998 to 2004. (It was followed by two SATC movies and the ongoing Max series "And Just Like That…".)
Nixon has been an outspoken advocate for education and women's causes, and in 2018, she launched a Democratic primary challenge against then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
In the primary, she focused on income inequality and enacting single-payer health care in the state, but came up short to Cuomo — taking 34% of the vote to the then-governor's nearly 66% share.
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Shanahan, the running mate of Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (another Kennedy family scion) in the 2024 election, is new to the national political scene.
An attorney, Shanahan founded the patent technology company ClearAccessIP, and was once married to the billionaire Google cofounder Sergey Brin. (Shanahan and Brin divorced in 2023.)
In selecting Shanahan, Kennedy Jr. in a March 2024 interview with Newsweek emphasized the value he placed on attracting the support of a broad array of Americans, but especially among young voters.
"I want somebody who will look out for young people and not treat them as if they're invisible," he told the publication. "She's just 38 years old; she comes from technology and understands social media."
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
At this point, Trump's background is almost universally known.
In 1980s and 1990s, he turned his New York City real-estate empire into the sort of celebrity that he had long coveted.
Leaning into the palace intrigue of Trump Tower and his Trump Organization, Trump began hosting the NBC reality program "The Apprentice" in 2004. It was an immediate success and for over a decade the show and its variations boosted him in the public eye.
When Trump launched his 2016 presidential campaign, he did so at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
After an incredibly tumultuous first term, Trump lost the 2020 election to Biden.
Biden and Trump are now set for a 2024 presidential rematch.