Professional wrestling personalities in politics

Modern politics of the United States have drawn comparisons to professional wrestling[1][2][3] and many wrestlers and wrestling personalities across the world have served in elected and appointed office throughout the years.[4][5][6]

Currently serving in office
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Elected InName of Highest Elected or Appointed OfficeYear Term started
Hiroshi Hase JapanGovernor of Ishikawa Prefecture[7]2022
Kane USAMayor of Knox County, Tennessee[5]2018
Matt Morgan USAMayor of Longwood, Florida[8]2019
Ian Riccaboni USASalisbury Township School District School Board[9]2023
Raymond Rougeau CanadaMayor of Rawdon, Quebec[10]2021
Rick Steiner USACherokee County School District (Georgia) School Board[11]2006

Previously elected or appointed
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Elected InName of Highest Elected or Appointed OfficeYear Term started
Jim Barnett USANational Council of the Arts[12]1977
Maven Bentley USACheltenham Township School District School Board[13]2019
Billy Two Rivers CanadaKahnawake Chief[14]1996
B. Brian Blair USAHillsborough County, Florida Commissioner[15]2004
The Great Sasuke JapanIwate Prefectural Assembly[16]2003
Tony Halme FinlandParliament of Finland[17]2003
Antonio Inoki JapanJapanese House of Councillors[18]1989; 2013
Abraham Lincoln[19] USAPresident of the United States1861
Linda McMahon USAAdministrator, Small Business Administration[20]2017
Atsushi Onita JapanJapanese House of Councillors[21]2001
Jesse Ventura USAGovernor of Minnesota[22]1998

Ran unsuccessfully
Wrestler or PersonalityCountry Office Sought InName of Office PursuedYear Year Pursued
Blue Demon Jr. MexicoMayor, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City[23]2021
Bob Backlund USAUnited States House of Representatives[24][25]2000
Carístico MexicoMayor, Cuauhtémoc[23]2021
Jerry Lawler USAMayor, Memphis, Tennessee[26]1999; 2009
Moondog King CanadaHouse of Commons of Canada[27]2004
Rhyno USAMichigan House of Representatives[28]2016
Tinieblas MexicoMayor, Venustiano[23]2021
Nikolai Volkoff USAMaryland House of Delegates[29]2006
Whipper Billy Watson CanadaYork East 1965 federal election Candidate1965

Other professional wrestlers or personalities involved in politics

References
  1. Hendrickson, John (March 26, 2023). "How Wrestling Explains America". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  2. Kruse, Michael (March 24, 2023). "How Pro Wrestling Explains Today's GOP". Politico. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. Riseman, Abraham Josephine (February 26, 2023). "The Best Way to Explain the G.O.P. Is Found in the W.W.E." The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  4. Mathews, Bobby (January 27, 2023). "Unexpected Politicians: Wrestlers Who Ran for Office". Pro Wrestling Stories. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  5. Banas, Erica (January 24, 2023). "Wrestlers Who Tried Their Hand At Politics". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  6. Tempest. "10 TIMES WRESTLERS GOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS". WrestleTalk. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  7. "Hase wins governor's race in Ishikawa after LDP split, grudge". The Asahi Shimbun. March 14, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  8. "Staff Directory". Historic Longwood, Florida. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  9. Nadon, Josh (August 1, 2023). "Ian Riccaboni elected to local school board". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  10. Goodyear, Sheena (November 10, 2021). "How pro wrestling prepared Raymond Rougeau to be a Quebec town mayor". CBC. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  11. Stafford, Leon (April 4, 2023). "Cherokee school board member accused of verbal abuse of trans wrestler". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  12. "Keeping a Firm Hold on the Arts – The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  13. "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.
  14. "Evidence: Transport (27)". Glenside Local. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  15. Makropoulos, Georgiann (November 3, 2004). "1Wrestling Newsline". Archived from the original on November 4, 2004. Retrieved April 7, 2007.
  16. "Masked wrestler wins Japan election". CNN. April 13, 2003. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  17. "Ranneliike.net – Homokansan yhdistävä tekijä". Archived from the original on May 8, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  18. "Iraq to Free 36 Japanese Hostages". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  19. "Abraham Lincoln: A Wrestler As Young Man". History Channel. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  20. Pramuk, Jacob (December 7, 2016). "Trump picks wrestling magnate Linda McMahon to lead Small Business Administration". MSNBC.
  21. "News: Mr. Liar's political quiz". insercredit.com. August 15, 2007. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011.
  22. Fisher, Marc. "Jesse 'The Body' Wins Minn. Gubernatorial Race." Washington Post. November 4, 1998. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  23. 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.
  24. Gubala, Jeff (July 13, 2000). "Bob Backlund announces his run for Congress". CT Insider. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  25. 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.
  26. "Lawler running for mayor". SLAM! Sports. Associated Press. July 7, 1999. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
  27. Oliver, Greg. "Sailor White to continue in politics". SLAM! wrestling. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  28. Raven, Benjamin (November 8, 2016). "WWE's Rhyno gored by Abdullah Hammoud in Dearborn state House race". MLive. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  29. Rodricks, Dan (January 26, 2006). "Once-evil wrestler has quiet life in Glen Arm". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore: Tronc, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  30. Ellison, Lillian (2003). The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle. ReaganBooks. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-06-001258-8.
  31. "Staffing" (PDF). Minnesota Historical Society. December 3, 1976. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  32. "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: The Rougeau Family". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
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