Apolitical family (also referred to as apolitical dynasty) is afamily in which multiple members are involved inpolitics, particularlyelectoral politics. Members may be related byblood ormarriage; often severalgenerations or multiplesiblings may be involved.

Aroyal family ordynasty in amonarchy is generally not considered a "political family," although later descendants of a royal family have played political roles in arepublic (such as theArslan family ofLebanon). A family dictatorship is a form ofhereditary dictatorship that operates much like anabsolute monarchy, yet occurs in a nominally non-monarchic state.

• In India, three members of theNehru–Gandhi family (Jawaharlal Nehru,Indira Gandhi andRajiv Gandhi) have served asPrime Minister of India. Rajiv's wifeSonia Gandhi and son,Rahul Gandhi, served as thePresident ofthe Indian National Congress, and daughter,Priyanka Gandhi, served as a Member of Parliament.
• Three members of theAbdullah family of Jammu and Kashmir have served as theChief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Two members of theYadav family (Mulayam Singh Yadav andAkhilesh Yadav) of Uttar Pradesh have served asChief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and many have held positions as ministers in the UP state government and the Indian government.
• Two members of theKarunanidhi family have served asChief Minister of Tamil Nadu, includingM. Karunanidhi and his sonM. K. Stalin. Additionally, including children and grandchildren, have held various ministerial positions in both state and central governments.
• Two members of theChautala family (Devi Lal,Om Prakash Chautala) of Haryana have served as theChief Minister of Haryana and have held important positions in the Indian government.Devi Lal has served twice as theDeputy Prime Minister of India.*In Karnataka, a son duo, H. D. Devegowda & H. D. Kumaraswami, served as the chief minister of the state. Later, Gowda served as prime minister of the country, and Swamy is now the steel ministry minister.* TheLalu family, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, both served as the Chief Minister of the State. Their son Tejaswi served as deputy chief minister of the state. * In Jharkhand, fatherShibu Soren &Hemant Soren both as the Chief Minister of State. * In J&K, Mohammad Sayeed & His daughter, Meghabooba Mufti, as Chief Cinister of Erstwile State. * In MH, Bal Thackeray, non government office holder, son Uddhav as MH CM. * In Sharad Sawar daughter, Supriya Sule. *In Odisha Biju and Naveen, father & son duo as CM. * In Punjab, Parkash Badal and Sukhbir Badal

Political families or dynasties in thePhilippines can be traced back to theSpanish colonial era with the roleprincipalía, a class of native elites, exhibiting hereditary features.^[2] A political dynasty refers to a family with multiple members occupying elected positions either one after another or simultaneously.^[2]

The1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties but there is no enabling law to implement this.^[2]

Nearly 250 families control politics inall 82 provinces ofthe Philippines atall levels. The "taipans" (thecartel of mixed political andbusiness oligarchs), which control the politics and ownvarious crony capitalist businesses,^[3] have reshaped political alliances, with approximately 234 dynasties winning positions in the2019 midterm election. They usually have a strong, consolidatedsupport base concentrated around the province, which they dominate. Members of such dynasties usually also participate in business and cultural activities to maximise theirshare in political spoils. By 2025, Philippine politics exhibited a marked increase in dynastic control, with approximately 80% of provincial governors belonging to "fat dynasties", up from 57% in 2004. Similarly, dynasties in theHouse of Representatives have risen to 67% from 48% in 2004, and mayoral posts held by dynasties increased to 53% from 40%. In the2022 Senate election, at least 12.5% (3) of the leading candidates had relatives already in the 24-seat chamber. Notably, 4.5% (800 out of 18,000) positions contested had single candidates from warlord clans whom no one dared contest.^[4]

Several families have each produced two out of 17Presidents of the Philippines. TheCojuangco-Aquino family ofTarlac hadCorazon (served 1986 – 1992) and her sonBenigno III ( served 2010 – 2016); the Macapagal family ofPampanga hadDiosdado (served 1961 – 1965) and his daughterGloria (served 2001 – 2010); and theMarcos family ofIlocos Norte haddictatorFerdinand (served beginning 1965, imposingMartial Law in 1972 and ruling untilhis overthrow in 1986), and his son,Bongbong, who has been president since 2022. The family also produced a senator and governor,Imee, who has been in Senate since 2019.

• The Pitt family: bothWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and his sonWilliam Pitt the Younger werePrime Ministers of Great Britain.
• TheCavendish family:William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, was prime minister from 1756 to 1757. His great-great-granddaughter,Dorothy Macmillan, was married toHarold Macmillan, who served as prime minister from 1957 to 1963.

• The Chamberlain family:Joseph Chamberlain served asPresident of the Board of Trade,Secretary of State for the Colonies, and (briefly in 1906)Leader of the Opposition. He had two sons by different wives, who both served in public office: the elder,Austen Chamberlain, served first asChancellor of the Exchequer and later asForeign Secretary; while the younger,Neville Chamberlain, was prime minister from 1937 to 1940.
• TheChurchill family:Lord Randolph Churchill served asLeader of the House of Commons andChancellor of the Exchequer in 1886–87. His sonWinston Churchill held numerous political posts, including president of the Board of Trade, Chancellor of the Exchequer and foreign secretary, before finally becoming prime minister (1940–1945 and 1951–1955). Winston's sonRandolph and grandsonsWinston andNicholas were also politicians.
• The Foot family:Isaac Foot was an MP from 1922 to 1935. Three of his sons also followed him into politics: the eldest son,Dingle, was Solicitor General for England and Wales under Harold Wilson; the third son,John, stood unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate; and the fourth son,Michael, was Leader of the Opposition from 1979 to 1983.
• The Hogg family: BothDouglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham and his sonQuintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham & Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone served asLord Chancellor. Quintin's son,Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham, is a politician, and he is married to the political advisor,Sarah Hogg, Baroness Hogg.
• The Kinnock family: Current Labour MPStephen Kinnock is the son ofNeil Kinnock, Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1992. Stephen is also married toHelle Thorning-Schmidt, the former prime minister of Denmark.
• The Paisley family:Reverend Ian Paisley and his wifeEileen Paisley were both Democratic Unionist MPs, as is their son,Ian Paisley Jr.
• The Johnson family:Stanley Johnson was a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 until 1984. Two of his sons followed him into politics: the eldest,Boris, wasMayor of London from 2008 to 2012 and prime minister from 2019 to 2022; while the youngest,Jo, also served as an MP.
• The Hoyle family:Doug Hoyle waschair of the Parliamentary Labour Party from 1992 to 1997 and later sat in the House of Lords. His son, SirLindsay, is the currentspeaker of the House of Commons.

In the United States, many political families (having at least two generations serving in political office) have arisen since the country's founding.

Several presidential families produced multiple generations of members who devoted at least part of their working lives to public service.

• TheAdams family:John Adams, second U.S. president (1797–1801); his son,John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. president (1825–1829); John Quincy's son,Charles Francis Adams Sr., member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1859–1861) and U.S. envoy to the United Kingdom (1861–1868); Charles Francis' son,John Quincy Adams II, Massachusetts state representative (1866–67, 1868–69, 1871–72, 1874–75); John Quincy II's son,Charles Francis Adams III, mayor ofQuincy, Massachusetts (1896–97) and U.S. secretary of the Navy (1929–1933).
• TheHarrison family:Benjamin Harrison V, governor of Virginia (1781–1784) and a signer of the Declaration of Independence; his son,William Henry Harrison, ninth U.S. president (1841); distant cousinAbraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president (1861–1865);John Scott Harrison, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1853–1857); John Scott's son,Benjamin Harrison, 23rd U.S. president (1889–1893) (the only grandson of a president to become president); Benjamin's son,Russell Benjamin Harrison, Indiana state legislator (1921–1933) and diplomat (1908–1927); Russell's son,William Henry Harrison III, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming (1951–1955, 1961–1965, 1967–1969).

William Henry Harrison

Benjamin Harrison

• TheLincoln family:Abraham Lincoln, postmaster of New Salem, Illinois (1833), Illinois state House of Representatives (1834–1842), U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois (1847–1849), 16th U.S. president (1861–1865); his cousin-in-law,John Todd Stuart, U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois (1839–1843, 1863–1865), Illinois state Senate (1848–1852); President Lincoln's son,Robert Todd Lincoln, South Chicago Board of Supervisors (1876–77), U.S. secretary of War (1881–1885), U.S. minister to Great Britain (1889–1893); President Lincoln's fourth cousin,Levi Lincoln, Massachusetts state legislator (1797–98), U.S. House of Representatives (1800–01), U.S. attorney general and acting secretary of State in the Jefferson administration, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (1807–08), governor of Massachusetts (1808–09).
• TheTaft family:Alphonso Taft, U.S. secretary of War (1876) and U.S. attorney general (1876–77); his sons,Charles Phelps Taft, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1895–1897), andWilliam Howard Taft, 27th U.S. president (1909–1913) andU.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (1921–1930); Charles and William Howard's cousin,Royal C. Taft, governor of Rhode Island (1888–1889); William Howard's sons,Robert A. Taft, U.S. Senate from Ohio (1939–1953), andCharles Phelps Taft II, mayor of Cincinnati (1955–1957); Robert's son,Robert Taft Jr., U.S. House of Representatives (1963–1965, 1967–1971) and U.S. Senate (1971–1976) from Ohio; Charles II's son,Seth Taft,Cuyahoga County commissioner (1971–1978); Robert Jr.'s son,Bob Taft, governor of Ohio (1999–2007).
• TheRoosevelt family: 26th U.S. PresidentTheodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) and 32nd U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), fifth cousins by blood (their great-great-great-grandfathers were brothers) and uncle-in-law and nephew-in-law by marriage. TR and FDR each served as U.S. assistant secretary of the Navy and as governor of New York before serving as president. FDR's wife and Theodore's niece,Eleanor Roosevelt, served as adviser to the president (1933–1945), chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (1946–1952), chair of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women (1961–62). TR's descendants: His son,Theodore Roosevelt Jr., governor ofPuerto Rico (1929–1932) and thePhilippines (1932–33); Theodore Jr.'s son,Theodore Roosevelt III, Pennsylvania secretary of Commerce (1949–1951). FDR and Eleanor's sons:Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1949–1955), U.S. undersecretary of Commerce (1963–1965);James Roosevelt, secretary to the President (1937–38), chairman of the California Democratic Party (1946–1948), U.S. House of Representatives from California (1955–1965); Elliott Roosevelt, mayor of Miami Beach, Florida (1965–67); James's sons, James Roosevelt, co-chair of the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee (1995-), and Hall Delano Roosevelt, Long Beach, California, City Council (1996–2000).
• TheKennedy family:Patrick Joseph Kennedy, Massachusetts state legislator (1884–1895); his son,Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., chair of the U.S. Maritime Commission (1934–35) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1937–38), and U.S. ambassador to Great Britain (1938–1940. Joseph and Rose Kennedy's children includedJohn F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. president (1961–1963), U.S. House of Representatives (1947–1953) and U.S. Senate (1953–1961) from Massachusetts;Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. attorney general (1961–1964) and U.S. Senate from New York (1965–1968);Ted Kennedy, U.S. Senate from Massachusetts (1962–2009); andJean Kennedy Smith, U.S. ambassador to Ireland (1993–1998). Ted Kennedy's widow,Victoria Reggie Kennedy, is the U.S. ambassador to Austria (2022–2025). Joseph and Rose Kennedy's grandchildren includeJoseph P. Kennedy II, U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1987–1999);Patrick J. Kennedy, U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island (1995–2011);Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Japan (2013–2017) and Australia (2022–2025);Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, lieutenant governor of Maryland (1995–2003);Mark Shriver, Maryland House of Delegates (1995–2003);Edward M. Kennedy Jr., Connecticut state senator (2015–2019);Bobby Shriver, City Council member and mayor of Santa Monica, California (2004–2012); andRobert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of health & human services (2025–).Maria Shriver was First Lady of California (2003–2011) and founded the California Museum (her husband,Arnold Schwarzenegger, was governor). Joseph and Rose Kennedy's great-grandchildren includeJoe Kennedy III, U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (2013–2021) and U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland (2022-2024).^[5]

• TheBush family:Prescott Bush, U.S. Senator from Connecticut (1952–63); his son,George H. W. Bush, 41st U.S. president (1989–93), U.S. vice president (1981–89), director of Central Intelligence Agency (1976–77), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1971–73), U.S. House of Representatives from Texas (1967–71); George H.W.'s sons,George W. Bush, 43rd U.S. president (2001–09) and governor of Texas (1995–2000), andJeb Bush, governor of Florida (1995–2007); Jeb's son,George P. Bush,Texas Land Commissioner (2015–23).
• TheClinton family:Bill Clinton, 42nd U.S. president (1993–2001) and governor of Arkansas (1979–81, 1983–92); his wife,Hillary Clinton, U.S. senator from New York (2001–09), U.S. secretary of State (2009–17), andDemocratic nominee forPresident of the United States (2016); President Clinton's uncle, Roy Clinton, Arkansas state House of Representatives (1950s).^[6]

• TheTrump family:Donald Trump, 45th U.S. president (2017–21) and 47th U.S. president (2025–); his daughterIvanka Trump and son-in-lawJared Kushner,senior presidential advisers (2017–21); his daughter-in-lawLara Trump, Co-chair of theRepublican National Committee (March–December 2024); his sister,Maryanne Trump Barry, U.S. district and appeals court judge (1983–2019); his fourth cousin,John Heinz, U.S. House of Representatives (1971–77) and U.S. Senate (1977–91) from Pennsylvania (their great-grandfathers were first cousins and originated from Kallstadt, Germany).
• TheBiden family:Joe Biden, 46th U.S. president (2021–2025), 47th U.S. vice president (2009–17), U.S. senator fromDelaware (1973–2009); his son,Beau Biden, state attorney general ofDelaware (2007–15). President Biden's great-grandfather,Edward Francis Blewitt,Pennsylvania state senator (1907–10).

Two other presidents were related by blood:James Madison andZachary Taylor were second cousins. Other presidents were related by marriage:George Washington's nephew,George Steptoe Washington, was Madison's brother-in-law.Dwight Eisenhower's grandson,David Eisenhower, marriedJulie Nixon, a daughter ofRichard Nixon.

The following political families are in the United States. For an extensive alphabetical list, see the articleList of United States political families.

• The Ashcroft family:John Ashcroft, governor of Missouri (1985–93), U.S. Senate from Missouri (1995–2001), U.S. attorney general (2001–05); his son,Jay Ashcroft, secretary of state ofMissouri (2017–).
• The Bayh family:Birch Bayh, Indiana state House of Representatives (1954–62), U.S. Senate fromIndiana (1963–81); his son,Evan Bayh, governor of Indiana (1989–97), U.S. Senate from Indiana (1999–2011).
• The Beshear family:Steve Beshear, attorney general (1979–83), lieutenant governor (1983–87) and governor ofKentucky (2007–15); his son,Andy, attorney general (2016–19) and governor of Kentucky (2019–).
• The Blunt family:Roy Blunt, U.S. House of Representatives (1997–2011) and U.S. Senate (2011–23) fromMissouri; his son,Matt Blunt, governor of Missouri (2005–09).
• The Brown family:Pat Brown, governor of California (1959–67); his son,Jerry Brown, governor of California (1975–83, 2011–19), and mayor of Oakland (1999–2007); Jerry's sister,Kathleen Brown, member of theLos Angeles Board of Education,California State Treasurer (1991–95); Edmund Jr. and Kathleen's cousin, Hal Brown, Marin County Board of Supervisors.
• The Brzezinski family:Zbigniew Brzezinski,U.S. National Security Advisor (1977–81); his son,Mark Brzezinski, U.S. ambassador toSweden (2011–15), U.S. ambassador toPoland (2022–).
• The Casey family:Bob Casey Sr.,Pennsylvania Senate (1963–68),Auditor General of Pennsylvania (1969–77),governor of Pennsylvania (1987–95); his son,Bob Casey Jr.,Auditor General of Pennsylvania (1997–2005), treasurer of Pennsylvania (2005–07),U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania (2007–)
• TheCelebrezze family:Frank D. Celebrezze, safety director for the City of Cleveland (1942–47), municipal court judge (1947–53); his brother,Anthony, mayor of Cleveland (1954–61), U.S. secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (1961–65), federal judge (1965–98); Frank's sons,Frank Jr., chief justice of theOhio Supreme Court (1978–86), andJames, Ohio state House of Representatives (1967–74); Anthony's son,Anthony Jr., Ohio state Senate (1975–78), secretary of state (1978–83), attorney general (1983–91); Frank Jr.'s son,Frank III, appeals court judge, Ohio Supreme Court justice; James's daughter, Leslie, judge, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas (2009 – ); James' son,Nicholas, Ohio state House of Representatives (2012–19).
• The Cheney family:Dick Cheney, U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming (1979–89), U.S. Secretary of Defense (1989–93), and 46th U.S. vice president (2001–09); his daughter,Liz Cheney, U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming (2017–23).
• TheCuomos:Mario Cuomo, governor of New York (1983–94); his son,Andrew Cuomo, U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1997–2001), governor of New York (2011–21).
• The D'Alesandro/Pelosi family:Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., mayor ofBaltimore, Maryland (1947–59), U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland (1939–47); his daughter,Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives from California (1987–),speaker of the House (2007–11, 2019–23); her brother,Thomas D'Alesandro III, mayor of Baltimore (1967–71); Nancy's brother-in-law,Ronald Pelosi,San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1968–80); Ronald's nephew,Gavin Newsom, mayor ofSan Francisco (2004–11), lieutenant governor of California (2011–19), governor of California (2019–).
• The Daley family:Richard J. Daley, mayor ofChicago (1955–76), widely considered one of the nation's most powerful mayors at the time; his sons,Richard M. Daley, mayor of Chicago (1989–2011);John P. Daley, Illinois state representative, state senator, andCook County commissioner;William M. Daley, U.S. secretary of Commerce (1997–2000), White House chief of staff (2011–12).
• The DeWine family:Mike DeWine, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1983–91), U.S. Senate from Ohio (1995–2007), governor ofOhio (2019–); his son,Pat DeWine, justice of theOhio Supreme Court (2017–).
• The Dingell family:John Dingell Sr., U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan (1933–55); his son,John Dingell, U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan (1955–2015); John's wife,Debbie Dingell, U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan (2015–) (the same seat has been represented by a member of the Dingell family continuously since 1933); John's son,Christopher D. Dingell, Michigan state senator (1987–2003); Michigan circuit court judge.
• The Ellison family:Keith Ellison, U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota (2007–19),Minnesota attorney general (2019–); his son,Jeremiah Ellison,Minneapolis City Council (2018–).
• The Ford family:John Ford, Tennessee state Senate (1974–2005); his sister,Ophelia Ford, Tennessee state Senate (2005–14); brother,Emmitt Ford, Tennessee state House of Representatives (1975–81); brother,Harold Ford Sr., Tennessee state House of Representatives (1971–75), U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1975–97); Harold's son,Harold Ford Jr., U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1997–2007).
• The Gabbard family:Mike Gabbard, Hawaii state Senate (2007–); his daughterTulsi Gabbard, U.S House of Representatives from Hawaii (2013–2021),Director of National Intelligence (2025–)
• The Gaetz family:Don Gaetz, Florida state Senate (2006–2016), Florida Senate president (2014–2016); his sonMatt Gaetz, U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (2015–2024)
• The Gilligan family:John J. Gilligan, U.S. House of Representatives (1965–67), governor of Ohio (1971–75); his daughter,Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas (2003–09), U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services (2009–14).
• The Gore family:Albert Gore Sr., U.S. House of Representatives (1939–53) and U.S. Senate (1953–71) from Tennessee; his son,Al Gore, U.S. House of Representatives (1977–85) and U.S. Senate from Tennessee (1985–93), 45th U.S. vice president (1993–2001).
• The Gorsuch family:Anne Gorsuch, Colorado state House of Representatives (1976–1980),EPA Administrator (1981–1983); her sonNeil Gorsuch,U.S. Supreme Court Justice (2017–present)
• The Grijalva family:Raúl Grijalva, U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona (2003–2025); his daughterAdelita, U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona (2025–)
• The Hanna family:Mark Hanna, U.S. Senate from Ohio (1896–1904), chairman of theRepublican National Committee (1897–1904); his daughterRuth Hanna McCormick, U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois (1929–31).
• The Huckabee family:Mike Huckabee, lieutenant governor (1993–96) and governor (1996–2007) ofArkansas; his daughter,Sarah Huckabee Sanders,White House press secretary (2017–19), governor of Arkansas (2023–).
• The Jones family:Walter B. Jones Sr., Democrat, U.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina (1966–1992); his son,Walter B. Jones Jr., Republican, U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina (1995–2019).
• The Key family:Annie L. Key, Ohio state House of Representatives (2001–06); her daughter,Stephanie Howse, Ohio state House of Representatives (2015–22),Cleveland City Council (2022–).
• The Kyl family:John Henry Kyl, U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa (1959–65, 1967–73); his son,Jon Kyl, U.S. House of Representatives (1987–95) and U.S. Senate from Arizona (1995–2013, 2018).
• The Landrieu family:Moon Landrieu, Louisiana state House of Representatives (1960–66), mayor ofNew Orleans (1970–78), U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1979–81); his daughter,Mary Landrieu, Louisiana state House of Representatives (1980–88), Louisiana state treasurer (1988–96), U.S. Senate from Louisiana (1997–2015); her brother,Mitch Landrieu Louisiana state representative (1988–2004), lieutenant governor of Louisiana (2004–10), mayor ofNew Orleans (2010–18), senior adviser to President Biden for infrastructure coordination (2021–2024).
• The LaTourette family:Steve LaTourette, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1995–2013); his daughter,Sarah LaTourette, Ohio state House of Representatives (2015–19).
• The Latta family:Del Latta, U.S. House of Representatives (1959–1989); his sonBob Latta, U.S. House of Representatives (2007–)
• The Levin family:Sander Levin, U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan (1983–2019); his brother,Carl Levin, U.S. Senate from Michigan (1979–2015); Sander's son,Andy Levin, U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan (2019–2023).
• The Lippitt/Chafee family:Henry Lippitt, governor ofRhode Island (1875–77); his sons,Charles W. Lippitt, governor of Rhode Island (1895–97), andHenry F. Lippitt, U.S. Senate from Rhode Island (1911–17); Henry F.'s son,Frederick Lippitt, Rhode Island state House of Representatives (1961–83); the elder Henry's great-grandson,John Chafee, governor of Rhode Island (1963–69), U.S. secretary of the Navy (1969–72), U.S. Senate from Rhode Island (1976–99); John's son,Lincoln Chafee, mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island (1993–99), U.S. Senate from Rhode Island (1999–2007), governor of Rhode Island (2011–15).
• TheLodge family:Henry Cabot Lodge, U.S. House of Representatives (1887–93) and U.S. Senate (1893–1924) from Massachusetts; his grandson,Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., U.S. Senate from Massachusetts (1947–53), U.S. ambassador to theUnited Nations (1953–60),South Vietnam (1963–64, 1965–67),West Germany (1968–69), Vatican City (1970–77); Henry Jr.'s brother,John Davis Lodge, U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut (1947–51), (governor of Connecticut (1951–55), and U.S. ambassador to Spain (1955–61), Argentina (1969–73), Switzerland (1983–85).
• TheLong family:Huey Long, governor of Louisiana (1928–32), U.S. Senate from Louisiana (1932–35); his widow,Rose McConnell Long, U.S. Senate from Louisiana (1936–37); his brother,Earl Long, lieutenant governor (1936–39) and governor (1939–40, 1948–52, 1956–60) of Louisiana; brother,George S. Long, U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana (1953–58); Huey Long's son,Russell B. Long, U.S. Senate from Louisiana (1948–87).
• The Lujan family: Eugene David Lujan, associate justice,New Mexico Supreme Court (1945–59); his granddaughter,Michelle Lujan Grisham, governor of New Mexico (2022–); Eugene's second cousin,Ben Luján, member (1975–2012) and speaker (2001–12), New Mexico state House of Representatives; Ben's son,Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Senate from New Mexico (2021–); Eugene's fifth cousin,Manuel Lujan Sr., mayor of Santa Fe (1942–48). Manuel's son,Manuel Lujan Jr., U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico (1969–89),U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1989–1993).
• The Mack family:Connie Mack III, U.S. House of Representatives (1983–89) and U.S. Senate (1989–2001) from Florida; his son,Connie Mack IV, Florida state House of Representatives (2001–03) and U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (2005–13);Mary Bono, Connie IV's then-wife, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California (1998–2013).
• The Manning family:Jeffrey Manning, Ohio House of Representatives (2001–2003); his wifeGayle Manning, Ohio Senate (2011–2018), Ohio House of Representatives (2019–); their sonNathan Manning, Ohio House of Representatives (2015–2019), Ohio Senate (2019–)
• TheMathews family:George Mathews, governor ofGeorgia (1787–88, 1793–96), U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia (1789–91); his brothers, Sampson and Archer, served in the Virginia General Assembly. Their descendants served as governors, judges and legislators in five states.
• The Menendez Family:Bob Menendez, U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey (1993–2006), U.S. Senate (2006–2024); his sonRob Menendez, U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey (2023–)
• The Moore/Capito family:Arch A. Moore Jr., U.S. House of Representatives (1957–1969), governor of West Virginia (1969–1977; 1985–1989); his daughterShelley Moore Capito, U.S. House of Representatives (2001–2015), U.S. Senate (2015–); her sonMoore Capito,West Virginia House of Delegates (2016–); his cousinRiley Moore, West Virginia House of Delegates (2017–2019), West Virginia state treasurer (2021–)
• The Murkowski family:Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senate from Alaska (1981–2002), governor ofAlaska (2002–06); his daughter,Lisa Murkowski, Alaska state House of Representatives (1999–2002), U.S. Senate from Alaska (2002–).
• The O'Neill family: Thomas O'Neill,Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council; his son,Tip O'Neill, Massachusetts House of Representatives (1937–53), U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1953–87), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1977–87); Tip's sonThomas P. O'Neill III, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (1975–83).
• The Paul family:Ron Paul, U.S. House of Representatives from Texas (1976–77, 1979–85, 1997–2013); his son.Rand Paul, U.S. Senate from Kentucky (2011 -).
• The Payne/Bolton family:Henry B. Payne, Ohio state Senate (1849–52), U.S. House of Representatives (1875–77) and U.S. Senate (1885–91) from Ohio; his son,Nathan P. Payne, mayor of Cleveland (1875–76); Henry's granddaughter,Frances P. Bolton, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1940–69); her husband,Chester C. Bolton, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1929–37); their son,Oliver P. Bolton, U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1953–57, 1963–65).
• The Pence family:Mike Pence, 48th U.S. vice president (2017–21), governor ofIndiana (2013–17), U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana (2001–13); his brother,Greg Pence, U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana (2019–).
• TheRockefeller family:Nelson Rockefeller, 41stVice President of the United States (1974–77),Governor of New York (1959–73); his brother,Winthrop Rockefeller,Governor of Arkansas (1967–71); their nephew,Jay Rockefeller, governor of West Virginia (1987–85), U.S. Senate fromWest Virginia (1985–2015); Winthrop's son,Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, lieutenant governor of Arkansas (1996–2006).
• TheRomney family:George W. Romney, governor of Michigan (1963–69), U S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1969–73); his son,Mitt Romney, governor of Massachusetts (2003–07), Republican Party nominee for U.S. president (2012), U.S. Senate from Utah (2019–); Mitt's niece,Ronna McDaniel, chair of theRepublican National Committee (2017–2024), delegate to Republican National Convention (2016), chair of the Michigan Republican Party (2015–17).
• TheRooney family:Dan M. Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers owner andPro Football Hall of Fame inductee), U.S. ambassador to Ireland (2009–12); his nephews,Tom Rooney, U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (2009–19), andPatrick Rooney Jr., Florida state House of Representatives (2010–16).
• The Scalia family:Antonin Scalia,U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1986–2016); his son,Eugene Scalia,U.S. Secretary of Labor (2019–21).
• The Suarez family:Xavier Suarez,mayor ofMiami, Florida (1985–1993); his sonFrancis Suarez, mayor of Miami (2017–present); his nephewAlex Mooney, Maryland state senator (1999–2011), U.S. House of Representatives (2015–present)
• The Sununu family:John H. Sununu, governor ofNew Hampshire (1983–89), White House chief of staff (1989–91); his sonsJohn E. Sununu, U.S. House of Representatives (1997-03) and U.S. Senate (2003–09) from New Hampshire, andChris Sununu, New Hampshire Executive Council (2011–17), governor of New Hampshire (2017–).
• The Sykes family:Vernon Sykes, Ohio state Senate (2017–), Ohio state House of Representatives (1983–2000, 2007–14), Akron City Council (1970s–83); his wife,Barbara Sykes, Ohio state House of Representatives (2001–06), Akron City Council (1990s–2001); their daughter,Emilia Sykes, Ohio state House of Representatives (2015–2022), U.S. House of Representatives (2023–).
• TheUdall family: David King Udall Sr., representative to theArizona Territorial Legislature (1899). His sons:Jesse Addison Udall,Arizona state House of Representatives (1931–38), chief justice of theArizona Supreme Court (1964);John Hunt Udall, mayor of Phoenix, Arizona (1936–38);Don Taylor Udall, Arizona state House of Representatives (1941–42);Levi Stewart Udall, Arizona Supreme Court (1947–60), chief justice (1951–53, 1957–59). Levi's sons:Stewart Udall, U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona (1955–61),U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1961–69);Mo Udall, U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona (1961–91). Next generation:John Nicholas Udall, son of John, mayor ofPhoenix, Arizona (1948–52);Tom Udall, son of Stewart, U.S. House of Representatives (1999–2008), U S. Senate from New Mexico (2009–21), U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (2021–);Mark Udall, son of Mo, U.S. House of Representatives (1999–2009) and U.S. Senate from Colorado (2009–15), Colorado state House of Representatives (1997–99).
• The Zone family: Michael Zone,Cleveland City Council (1960–74); his wife,Mary Zone, Cleveland City Council (1974–86); their son,Matt Zone, Cleveland City Council (2001–); their son-in-law,Lee Fisher, Ohio state House of Representatives (1981–82), Ohio state Senate (1983–90), Ohio state attorney general (1991–95), lieutenant governor of Ohio (2007–11); their nephew, Joseph Zone, Cleveland Municipal Court judge.

• Azerbaijan:
  • PresidentIlham Aliyev is the son of the lateHeydar Aliyev, who also served as thepresident from 1993 to 2003. Ilham's wifeMehriban, is also thevice president of Azerbaijan and the first person to hold the position following its creation in 2017.
• Brazil:
  • Jair Bolsonaro served as president from 2019 to 2023 and also served as federal deputy from 1991 to 2018.Flavio Bolsonaro, his firstborn son has served as a Senator since 2019, and has also served as a state deputy forRio de Janeiro from 2003 till 2018.Eduardo Bolsonaro, the second son, has served as aFederal Deputy since 2015. His third son,Carlos Bolsonaro has served in theRio de Janeiro city council since 2001. His ex-wife, Ana Cristina Valle, ran for office in 2018, but was not elected. His youngest son, Jair Renan Bolsonaro, was recently elected as the most voted councilor ofBalneário Camboriú, inSanta Catarina,Brazil's 2024 municipal elections.
• Canada:
  Main article:List of Canadian political families
  • Former Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau is the son of the latePierre Trudeau, who also served asprime minister.
  • New Brunswick Former Member of Legislative AssemblyTed Flemming shares the same name as his grandfather,Hugh John Flemming, who also served as a Member of Legislative Assembly as well as a member of theParliament of Canada.
  • Doug Ford Sr., a MPP, later had his sons,Rob, become Mayor of Toronto, andDoug become Premier of Ontario.
• Chile:
  • Alessandri andFrei families have held significant political influence from the 20th century onwards, each one with a father and son having served as president;Arturo andJorge, andEduardo andEduardo, respectively.

• El Salvador:
  • PresidentsCarlos Meléndez (1913–1914, 1915–1918) andJorge Meléndez (1919–1923) were brothers, and PresidentAlfonso Quiñónez Molina (1914–1915, 1918–1919, 1923–1927) was their brother-in-law. All were a part of theMeléndez–Quiñónez dynasty. The Meléndez brothers were also the grandsons of PresidentNorberto Ramírez (1840–1841).
• Estonia:
  • Prime MinisterKaja Kallas is the daughter ofSiim Kallas, who also served asPrime Minister from 2002 to 2003.
• Gabon:
  • PresidentOmar Bongo was succeeded by his sonAli Bongo Ondimba. Two commanders-in-chief of theGabonese Republican Guard,Grégoire Kouna andBrice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, are cousins of Ali Bongo. Brice Oligui took control after thecoup d'état in 2023.
• Greece: 3 families have been predominant figures in Greek politics since the end of World War II.
  • Current Prime Minister (since 2019)Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the son of former prime ministerKonstantinos Mitsotakis, brother of former Minister of Foreign AffairsDora Bakoyannis, and uncle of former mayor of AthensKostas Bakoyannis. The Mitsotakis family are also related to former prime ministerEleftherios Venizelos by marriage.
  • Another important political family is the Papandreou family.Georgios Papandreou served three terms as prime minister, starting in 1944, on a political career that spanned five decades. His son,Andreas Papandreou, also served three terms as prime minister, starting in 1981.George Papandreou, Andreas' son and Georgios' grandson, served in the same role from 2009 to 2011.
  • Another important political family is the Karamanlis family.Konstantinos Karamanlis was Greece's longest-serving prime minister and helped the country enter the EU in 1981. His nephewKostas Karamanlis also served as prime minister from 2000 to 2004 and another nephewKostas Karamanlis served as Minister of Infrastructure and Transport from 2019 to 2023.
• France:
  • FrenchFront National Party is led byMarine Le Pen, who succeeded her fatherJean-Marie Le Pen in early 2011. Other members of theLe Pen family include current former MPMarion Maréchal (niece of Marine Le Pen) andJordan Bardella (partner of the niece of Marine Le Pen).

• Indonesia:
  • Sukarno family: PresidentSukarno and his daughterMegawati both served as presidents. Megawati's daughter,Puan Maharani, is currently serving as the Speaker of thePeople's Representative Council.
  • Widodo family: PresidentJoko Widodo was accused of carrying out dynastic politics by changing the law to be able to become head of state and regional head in Indonesia by making his first sonGibran Rakabuming Raka vice president of Indonesia in 2024-2029 withPrabowo Subianto. Gibran was the mayor ofSurakarta, who is still in office even though he is participating in the 2024 presidential election. In addition, his second sonKaesang Pangarep is the chairman of theIndonesian Solidarity Party and his son-in-lawBobby Nasution are also the Governors ofNorth Sumatra. Joko Widodo was also accused of taking advantage of his older brother as chairman of theConstitutional Court, who served from 2018 to 2023, to change the law so that his children and son-in-law can occupy positions in the Indonesian government.
  • Hoping to prevent political dynasties, theIndonesian parliament, which represents the third largest democracy in the world, passed a law barring anyone from holding a major office within five years of a relative.^[7]
• Iran:
  • The Davidkhanian family has been prominent in Persian politics and diplomacy, giving the country numerous cabinet ministers, advisors to theShah, and politicians since the establishment of theQajar dynasty.Markar Khan Davidkhanian served as the minister of finance (1804–1848) and advisor toFath-Ali Shah Qajar during theGreat Game.Set Khan Astvatsatourian (1780–1942) served as a political advisor toAbbas Mirza and Ambassador to Britain.Tsatur Khan (1820–1905) served as advisor toMozaffar-ad-Din Qajar, envoy to Russia, andde facto Minister of Foreign Affairs. During thePahlavi era,Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian (1902–1983) served asGovernor ofKhorramshahr.
• Ireland: It is common for several members of a family to hold political office.
  • SeeFamilies in the Oireachtas for a full list. This is particularly present in the two establishment centre-right parties,Fianna Fáil andFine Gael.^[8][9]
• Jamaica:
  • Holness:Andrew Holness andJuliet Holness, married couple.
  • Manley:Michael Manley, who served as prime minister from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1989 to 1992, is the son ofNorman Manley, who served as premier from 1959 to 1962. Norman was also related to Prime MinisterAlexander Bustamante (1962-1967) via a common grandmother.
  • Smith:Derrick C. Smith andDuane Smith, father and son.^[10]
  • Webley:Glenmore Webley andJoan Gordon-Webley were married and were both members of theParliament of Jamaica for theJamaica Labour Party.^[11]
  • Williams:Donovan Williams andDelroy Williams are brothers who serve as members of theParliament of Jamaica for theJamaica Labour Party.^[12]
  • Vaz:Ann-Marie Vaz andDaryl Vaz, married couple.^[13]
• Japan: various families dominate the political scene, several of which have occupied the prime ministership.
  • Shinzo Abe, who served from 2012 to 2020 and from 2006 to 2007, and is the grandson ofNobusuke Kishi, who served from 1957 to 1960, and the great-nephew ofEisaku Sato, who served from 1964 to 1972. Additionally, both Kishi and Sato are brothers.
  • There are other notable examples includingYukio Hatoyama (2009–2010), grandson ofIchiro Hatoyama (1954–1956),Morihiro Hosokawa (1993–1994), grandson ofFumimaro Konoe (1937 – 1939 & 1940 – 1941),Taro Aso (2008–2009), grandson ofShigeru Yoshida and (1946 – 1947, 1948 – 1954) and son-in-law ofZenko Suzuki (1980–1982) andYasuo Fukuda (2007–2008), son ofTakeo Fukuda (1976–1978).
• Kazakhstan:
  • Nursultan Nazarbayev served aspresident of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019, while his daughterDariga served asChair of the Senate from 2019 to 2020 and leader of her father's political partyNur Otan in the Senate from 2014 to 2015.
• Kenya:
  • Uhuru Kenyatta served as president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. He is the son ofJomo Kenyatta, the first president of theRepublic of Kenya, who left office in 1978.
• Laos:
  • Kaysone Phomvihane's family andKhamtai Siphandone's family, formergeneral secretaries of the ruling communistLao People's Revolutionary Party, hold a variety of political positions in the country. Phomvihane's sonSaysomphone, served as the president of theLao Front for National Construction and currently serves asPresident of theNational Assembly. Another sonThongsavanh, serves as the head of the LPRP External Relations Committee, while another, Santiphap, currently serves as the governor ofSavannakhet Province. The son of Khamtai SiphandoneSonexay has served the currentPrime Minister of Laos since 2022, while Khamtai's daughterViengthong serves as the current president of the State Audit Organization.
• Latvia:
  • Guntis Ulmanis, who served aspresident from 1993 to 1999, is the great-nephew ofKārlis Ulmanis, who also served as president.
• Lebanon:
  • Saad Hariri, who served asPrime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020, is the son ofRafic Hariri, who also served as prime minister from 1992 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2004.
  • The Gemayel family also plays a prominent role in Lebanese politics.Bachir andAmine Gemayel, both of whom were electedpresidents of Lebanon, are sons ofPierre Gemayel, the founder of theKataeb Party.
• Lithuania:
  • Vytautas Landsbergis, leader of the State in 1990–1992, is the son ofVytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, a member of the government in the 1940s. GrandsonGabrielius Landsbergis is the current leader of the Conservative Party and the minister of foreign affairs.
  • Gentvilas family:Eugenijus Gentvilas served as mayor ofKlaipėda, Prime Minister and minister of economy in 2001; his sisterVirginija Baltraitienė (née Gentvilaitė) served as mayor ofKėdainiai district and minister of agriculture; his sonSimonas Gentvilas is serving as minister of environment.

• Malaysia:
  • Abdul Razak Hussein served asprime minister from 1970 to 1976, and his sonNajib Razak, who was later convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison, served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018.
• Mauritius: out of five prime ministers, two have been the sons of former office holders.
  • Navinchandra Ramgoolam is the son of the country's first prime minister,Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, whilePravind Jugnauth is the son ofAnerood Jugnauth. Other prominent political dynasties include theDuvals,Boolells and theMohammeds.
• Mexico:
  • The Ruiz Massieu-Salinas family, the most notable political family in Mexico, includes the former senator and Minister of Urban Development,Raúl Salinas Lozano is father toCarlos Salinas de Gortari, who served as President of Mexico between 1988 and 1994;Raúl Salinas de Gortari, former director ofCONASUPO, and Adriana Salinas de Gortari, who was married to former governor andPRI General Secretary,José Francisco Ruíz Massieu, killed in 1994. Ruíz Massieu's daughter,Claudia Ruíz Massieu, would go on to become Mexico'sSecretary of Tourism andSecretary of Foreign Affairs.
  • Enrique Peña Nieto, the former president who served from 2012 to 2018, is a cousin ofAlfredo Del Mazo Maza, the governor of theState of Mexico, who is at the same time a son of former governorAlfredo del Mazo González.^[14]
  • Peña Nieto, the President, is also related to former governorSalvador Sánchez Colin and former governorArturo Montiel Rojas.^[14]
  • Luis Calderón Vega, a prominent Mexican politician and founder of theNational Action Party, is the father of former senatorLuisa María Calderón and former presidentFelipe Calderón, who is married to former congresswoman and presidential candidateMargarita Zavala, who is herself a cousin of congresswomanMariana Gómez del Campo.^[14]
  • Miguel de la Madrid, former president, andMiguel Alemán Valdés, another former president, also had sons who held prominent political positions.Enrique de la Madrid served asSecretary of Tourism under President Enrique Peña Nieto, whileMiguel Alemán Velasco served as senator and governor of Veracruz.^[14]
• Nigeria:
  • The Ransome-Kuti family have been prominent.Olikoye Ransome-Kuti served as thehealth minister under PresidentIbrahim Babangida while his brother,Fela Kuti, founded and led the Movement of the People political party. Their mother, ChiefFunmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was afounding mother of Nigeria who served as a lawmaker and party leader in the country'scolonial era.
• North Korea:
  • TheKim family has governed North Korea since 1948 for three generations;Kim Il Sung,Kim Jong Il, andKim Jong Un.
• Palau:
  • Thomas Remengesau Jr., former president, is the son of the 2nd president,Thomas Remengesau Sr.
• Portugal:
  • The minister of welfare state is married to a member of parliament involved in a scandal related with an ONG financed by the welfare state; The daughter of the same minister is the presidency minister; The interior minister is married with the sea minister; the justice minister husband was nominated for a public commission by a co-minister.

• Singapore
  • Lee family
    • Lee Hsien Loong, the third prime minister of Singapore (2004–2024), is the son of the first prime minister of SingaporeLee Kuan Yew (1959–1990).
• South Africa:
  • F. W. de Klerk, the lastState President, is the son ofJan de Klerk who served as acting State President in April 1975.
• South Korea:
  • Park Geun-hye, and her fatherPark Chung Hee, were Presidents of South Korea.
• Sri Lanka:
  • Rajapaksa family has had 2 presidents and 1 prime minister. Also, the family has many of their extended relatives in the parliament. Additionally, theBandaranaike family has had 1 president and 3 prime ministers withS. W. R. D. Bandaranaike,Sirimavo Bandaranaike andChandrika Kumaratunga all serving in the Prime Minister's capacity with Chandrika Kumaratunga serving as president.
• Syria:
  • Bashar al-Assad succeeded his fatherHafez until theFall of the Assad Regime.
• Taiwan:
  • Chiang Kai-shek andChiang Ching-kuo both served as president;Chiang Wan-an, current mayor of Taipei and grandson of Chiang Ching Kuo
• Thailand:
  • Thaksin and his siblingYingluck Shinawatra both served as prime minister, as did Thaksin's daughterPaetongtarn. Thaksin and Yingluck's brother-in-law,Somchai Wongsawat, also served as prime minister.
• Turkmenistan:
  • Serdar Berdimuhamedow, who was elected aspresident of Turkmenistan in 2022, is the son ofGurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who served as president from 2007 to 2022.

• Uruguay:
  • Batlle family have held significant political influence from the 19th century onwards, with four of its members serving as presidents.

• List of political families
• Political families of Australia
• Hereditary politicians
• Nepotism
• Oligarchy
• Political boss
• Widow's succession

• Political families
• Oligarchy
• Aristocracy

• CS1 Italian-language sources (it)
• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata