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Professional wrestling personalities in politics

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Many wrestlers and wrestling personalities across the world have served in elected and appointed office throughout the years.[1][2][3]

Currently serving in office

[edit]
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Elected InName of Highest Elected or Appointed OfficeYear Term started
Mike Furnas USACommissioner, Ottawa County, Oklahoma[4]
Hiroshi Hase JapanGovernor of Ishikawa Prefecture[5]2022
Tim Horner USACounty Commissioner, Hamblen County, Tennessee[6]2018[7]
Kane (Glenn Jacobs) USAMayor of Knox County, Tennessee[2]2018
Linda McMahon USAUnited States Secretary of Education[8]2024
Matt Morgan  USA District 4 City Commissioner of Longwood, Florida.[9] 2017
Ian Riccaboni USADirector, Salisbury Township School District School Board[10]2023
Raymond Rougeau CanadaMayor of Rawdon, Quebec[11]2021
Rick Steiner USACherokee County School District (Georgia) School Board[12]2006
Hiroko Suzuki  Japan Funabashi city council 2015

Previously elected or appointed

[edit]
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Elected InName of Highest Elected or Appointed OfficeYear Term started
Jim Barnett USANational Council of the Arts[13]1977
Maven Bentley USACheltenham Township School District School Board[14]2019
Billy Two Rivers CanadaKahnawake Chief[15]1996
B. Brian Blair USAHillsborough County, Florida Commissioner[16]2004
The Great Sasuke JapanIwate Prefectural Assembly[17]2003
Tony Halme FinlandParliament of Finland[18]2003
Antonio Inoki JapanJapanese House of Councillors[19]1989; 2013
Shinobu Kandori JapanJapanese House of Councillors2006
Sonny Myers USABuchanan County, Missouri Sherriff[20]1968 [21]
Atsushi Onita JapanJapanese House of Councillors[22]2001
Jesse Ventura USAGovernor of Minnesota[23]1998

Ran unsuccessfully

[edit]
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Office Sought InName of Office PursuedYear Pursued
Big Boss Man USACounty Commissioner, Paulding County, Georgia[24]2004
Blue Demon Jr. MexicoMayor, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City[25]2021
Bob Backlund USAUnited States House of Representatives[26][27]2000
Carístico MexicoMayor, Cuauhtémoc[25]2021
Jerry Lawler USAMayor, Memphis, Tennessee[28]1999; 2009
Moondog King CanadaHouse of Commons of Canada[29]2004
Rhyno USAMichigan House of Representatives[30]2016
Tinieblas MexicoMayor, Venustiano[25]2021
Nikolai Volkoff USAMaryland House of Delegates[31]2006
Whipper Billy Watson CanadaYork East 1965 federal election Candidate1965
Drake Younger  USA Florida House of Representatives[32] 2022

Other professional wrestlers or personalities involved in politics

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Mathews, Bobby (January 27, 2023). "Unexpected Politicians: Wrestlers Who Ran for Office". Pro Wrestling Stories. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Banas, Erica (January 24, 2023). "Wrestlers Who Tried Their Hand At Politics". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. ↑ Tempest (3 November 2020). "10 TIMES WRESTLERS GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS". WrestleTalk. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Commissioner District 1". Ottawa County. March 14, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Hase wins governor's race in Ishikawa after LDP split, grudge". The Asahi Shimbun. March 14, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  6. ↑ "County Commission". Hamblen County, Tennessee. 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Commission to have at least seven new members". Citizen Tribune. May 2, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  8. ↑ Pramuk, Jacob (December 7, 2016). "Trump picks former WWE executive Linda McMahon for education secretary". Guardian.
  9. ↑ "Staff Directory • Longwood, FL • CivicEngage". www.longwoodfl.org. Retrieved 2026-01-03.
  10. ↑ Nadon, Josh (August 1, 2023). "Ian Riccaboni elected to local school board". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ Goodyear, Sheena (November 10, 2021). "How pro wrestling prepared Raymond Rougeau to be a Quebec town mayor". CBC. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Stafford, Leon (April 4, 2023). "Cherokee school board member accused of verbal abuse of trans wrestler". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Keeping a Firm Hold on the Arts – The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  14. ↑ "Cheltenham's Tyrone Scott & Abington's Charles Max Barsky: High school wrestlers who went on to professional careers". Parliament of Canada. October 23, 1996. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Evidence: Transport (27)". Glenside Local. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  16. ↑ Makropoulos, Georgiann (November 3, 2004). "1Wrestling Newsline". Archived from the original on November 4, 2004. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
  17. ↑ "Masked wrestler wins Japan election". CNN. April 13, 2003. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Ranneliike.net – Homokansan yhdistävä tekijä". Archived from the original on May 8, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Iraq to Free 36 Japanese Hostages". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  20. ↑ Oliver, Greg. "Sonny Myers Dead at 83". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  21. ↑ "Previous County Sheriffs List" (PDF). Buchanan, MO. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  22. ↑ "News: Mr. Liar's political quiz". insercredit.com. August 15, 2007. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011.
  23. ↑ Fisher, Marc. "Jesse 'The Body' Wins Minn. Gubernatorial Race." Washington Post. November 4, 1998. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  24. ↑ Mooneyham, Mike (September 24, 2004). "'Big Boss Man' Traylor Dies". The Wrestling Gospel. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 Janowitz, Nathaniel (January 21, 2021). "The Masked Luchador Blue Demon Jr. Wants to Run for Office in Mexico—Without Showing His Face". Vice. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  26. ↑ Gubala, Jeff (July 13, 2000). "Bob Backlund announces his run for Congress". CT Insider. Retrieved February 12, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  27. ↑ Herszenhorn, David M.; Zielbauer, Paul (November 8, 2000). "THE 2000 ELECTIONS: CONNECTICUT – THE HOUSE; Gejdenson Upset as 5 Incumbents Prevail". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Lawler running for mayor". SLAM! Sports. Associated Press. July 7, 1999. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
  29. ↑ Oliver, Greg. "Sailor White to continue in politics". SLAM! wrestling. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ Raven, Benjamin (November 8, 2016). "WWE's Rhyno gored by Abdullah Hammoud in Dearborn state House race". MLive. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  31. ↑ Rodricks, Dan (January 26, 2006). "Once-evil wrestler has quiet life in Glen Arm". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore: Tronc, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  32. ↑ Winnard, Liam (2021-08-05). "Drake Wuertz Running For Florida House Of Representatives". WrestleTalk. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  33. ↑ Ellison, Lillian (2003). The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle. ReaganBooks. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-06-001258-8.
  34. ↑ "Staffing" (PDF). Minnesota Historical Society. December 3, 1976. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  35. ↑ "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: The Rougeau Family". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2017-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
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