Before They Were Making Laws These 17 US Politicians Had Unexpected Jobs
Politicians...they're just like us. Before shaping the future of our country, they were teenagers working retail jobs and taking care of their family's businesses.
Here are some interesting jobs politicians have held outside of politics:
1.Harry S. Truman Worked In A Drugstore
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President from 1945 to 1953. In his early career, he worked as a drugstore clerk in Independence, Missouri, where he primarily focused on cleaning and organizing tasks. Following this role, he also worked as a contractor, clerk, and bookkeeper.
Source: TrumanLibrary.Gov
2.Joe Biden Was A Lifeguard
Before becoming President, Joe Biden worked as a lifeguard in his youth in Wilmington, DE, where he was the only white lifeguard at the pool. The local swimming pool was later named after him.
Source: TheWashingtonPost and DelawarePublic
3.Barack Obama Worked At Baskin Robbins
During his teenage years, Barack Obama held his first job at a Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he worked as an ice cream server.
Source: BusinessInsider
4.Ronald Reagan Was An Actor
For 30 years, Ronald Reagan dedicated himself to the entertainment industry, venturing into film and television as an actor. His first major role was in the romantic-mystery film Love Is on the Air and it marked the beginning of a prolific career in show business before he transitioned into politics.
Source: ReaganLibrary.Gov
5.Jimmy Carter Worked On His Family's Farm
In 1928, James Earl Carter, Sr. (Jimmy Carter's dad), and his family moved to a farm where they grew peanuts, cotton, sugar cane, and corn. They also raised livestock and ran a store next to their home. Jimmy Carter's responsibilities on the farm included picking cotton, selling peanuts, taking care of the animals, and watering the livestock.
Source: NPS.GOV
6.Maurice Hinchey Was A Toll Booth Collector
Maurice Hinchey served as a U.S. Representative from New York and worked in Congress for 20 years. He was the son of a cement plant worker and even worked the night shift as a toll booth collector on the New York State Thruway to save money for college.
Source: BusinessInsider
7.Rob Wittman Was A Marine Scientist
Rob Wittman is the U.S. representative for Virginia's first congressional district. He spent 20 years as a marine scientist monitoring water quality and environmental health issues and is involved in the SHARKED Act, which establishes a task force to work with fisheries management groups to address the problems posed by increased shark depredation and identify research and funding opportunities for improving the current conditions of shark depredation.
Source: Wittman.House.Gov
8.Shelley Berkley Was A Keno Runner
Shelley Berkley is a politician and businesswoman. She served as the U.S. representative for Nevada's first congressional district. Before entering politics, she worked as a cocktail waitress and keno runner in Las Vegas while attending school and studying political science.
Source: BusinessInsider and NYTimes
9.Kerry Bentivolio Was A Santa Impersonator
Kerry Bentivolio served as the representative of Michigan's 11th congressional district from 2013 to 2015. He was known for portraying Santa Claus in his hometown of Milford, Michigan. He took his role seriously and even invested in a sleigh with reindeer, bringing joy to people in the community.
Source: BusinessInsider and TheDailyBeast
10.Don Young Was A Tugboat Captain
Don Young served as the U.S. representative for Alaska's At-Large Congressional District from 1973 until his passing in 2022. Prior to his political career, he worked as a tugboat captain.
Source: BusinessInsider and Reuters
11.Jesse Ventura Was A Professional Wrestler
Jesse Ventura served as Minnesota's governor from 1999 to 2003. Before his political career, he gained fame as a professional wrestler known as Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Following an injury, he retired from wrestling.
Source: BusinessInsider
12.Salvatore Phillip Bono Was A Musician
Salvatore Phillip Bono, also known as Sonny of Sonny and Cher, was a representative from California in Congress. He began his career as a musician and met Cher in the early 60s. The duo scored their greatest hit in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." After his music career waned, he transitioned to politics, serving as the mayor of Palm Springs, California in the 80s before later entering Congress.
Source: BusinessInsider and Biography
13.Robert Andrews Was A Janitor
Robert Andrews served as the Representative from New Jersey's first congressional district from 1989 to 2014. Prior to his political career, he worked as a janitor during his youth and later as a stringer for a local newspaper after high school.
Source: TheHill
14.Tom Price Was A Paperboy
Thomas Price served as the representative for Georgia's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2017. He also served as the 23rd Secretary of Health and Human Services and worked in the Trump administration. Prior to his political career, Tom Price worked as a paperboy and later as an EKG technician in a hospital.
Source: TheHill
15.Wendy Davis Worked In The Mall Food Court
Wendy Davis, from Fort Worth, Texas, represented the 10th district in the Texas Senate from 2009 to 2015. Her first job was working at Orange Julius in the mall food court, and she also sold subscriptions for a local newspaper.
Source: TheGuardian
16.Theodore Roosevelt Was A Cowboy
Former President Theodore Roosevelt, who held office from 1901 to 1909, lived the rugged life of a cowboy for a few years during his early adulthood and worked on a ranch in North Dakota.
Source: Time
17.Al Franken Was A Comedian
Al Franken served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. Before entering politics, he wrote and performed on SNL from 1975 until 1980 and again in the late '80s through the '90s.
Source: Brittanica and Forbes
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