Here’s a look at other American entertainers who have had successful political careers:
1. JERRY SPRINGER: Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer (Democrat), born Feb. 13, 1944, became a Cincinnati city councilman in 1971. After a bounced check showed that he'd used the services of a prostitute, he resigned in '74. He was re-elected in 1975, then chosen to serve as mayor in 1977. After politics, he started his tabloid talk show, "Jerry Springer," in 1991. He's now in his 25th season as a talk show host.
Source: Associated Press
2. SONNY BONO: Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (Republican), born Feb. 16, 1935, rose to fame with his wife and musical partner Cher. Following "Sonny & Cher," Bono became the mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 44th District in 1995. He died Jan. 5, 1998, in a skiing accident at Heavenly Ski Report near South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Source: Associated Press
3. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (Republican), born July 30, 1947, in Austria, moved to the United States and enjoyed a successful bodybuilding career. He was named Mr. Olympia in 1970. In 1990, under the Reagan Administration, he was named chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He was elected as the Governor of California in 2003 and served two terms.
Source: Los Angeles Times
4. AL FRANKEN: Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (Democrat), born May 21, 1951, was a writer and actor for Saturday Night Live in the 1970s and '80s. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008. The election was extremely close and contested. Franken was eventually declared the winner and assumed his seat in the Senate on July 7, 2009. He is still serving.
Source: Getty Images
5. JESSE VENTURA: James George Janos, aka Jesse Ventura (first Reform Party, then Independence Party of Minnesota), born July 15, 1951, enjoyed a successful career in the World Wrestling Federation as well as acting. He was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1999 and served one term.
Source: Associated Press
6. CLINT EASTWOOD: Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr. (Republican), born May 31, 1930, is best known as the nameless protagonist in a series of 1960s spaghetti Westerns, including "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," then later as a police officer named Harry Callahan in the series of "Dirty Harry" films in the 1970s and '80s. He served as Mayor of Carmel, Calif., from 1986-88.
Source: Associated Press
7. RONALD REAGAN: Ronald Wilson Reagan (Republican), born Feb. 6, 1911; died, June 5, 2004, was a Hollywood actor appearing in more than 60 films between 1937 and 1964. He then served as Governor of California before being elected the 40th President of the United States in 1980. He served two terms.
Source: New York Times
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