Numerous 2026 candidates come from established political families — Kennedys, Bushes, Sununus, Kings, Bayhs and others — and are running for offices ranging from local posts to Congress and governorships. Some emphasize family legacies as assets, while others stress independence and their own records. Several races, including New York’s 12th District and Maine’s governor’s contest, feature multiple contenders with well-known surnames, but polling shows outsiders and non-dynastic candidates can lead. The prominence of political families continues to prompt debate over influence, name recognition and public trust.
Political Dynasties on the 2026 Ballot: Which Famous Family Names Are Running This Year
Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former US President John F. Kennedy, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2025. A campaign poster for JFK's 1958 Senate campaign.Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty; Alamy
Politics in the United States has long been a family affair. Even after rejecting hereditary rule more than two centuries ago, voters often respond to familiar surnames and the reputations they carry. As the 2026 election season unfolds, several candidates are drawing on family legacies — some embracing those legacies, others working to define themselves apart from them.
Rev. Al Sharpton speaks alongside Jack Schlossberg on April 8 in New York.Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty
Below are profiles of notable 2026 hopefuls with prominent family ties, describing how lineage, name recognition and personal records are shaping their campaigns.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her daughter Christine Pelosi at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024.Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
01 of 14 — Jack Schlossberg (NY-12)
Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, 33, the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy, is running for Congress in New York’s 12th District to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler. Schlossberg frames his campaign around generational change and a return to Democratic priorities that diverge from the politics of the Trump era. Recent polls show him trailing several rivals in a crowded field, though he remains a notable name because of his family’s long political history.
Jonathan Bush Jr. at an event in Armonk, N.Y., on Oct. 14, 2017. Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Aug. 3, 2002.Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty; Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty
02 of 14 — Christine Pelosi (San Francisco/State Senate)
As Nancy Pelosi stepped back from her San Francisco House seat after decades in Congress, her daughter Christine Pelosi — a seasoned party operative and attorney — opted to pursue a seat in the California State Senate. The contest for Pelosi’s former congressional district has grown competitive, and Christine’s decision reflects both continuity and a recalibration of her political ambitions within state politics.
Former Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H.Credit: John Sununu/Instagram
03 of 14 — Jonathan Bush (Maine Governor Race)
A lesser-known member of the Bush family, Jonathan Bush — a cousin of President George W. Bush — is running in Maine’s Republican primary for governor. While the Bush name once carried national heft, this campaign highlights how family brands can play out differently in local and state-level contests. Polls place him behind several better-known or better-funded contenders in a crowded field.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., and his brother, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., speak about their father in Chicago on Feb. 18.Credit: Scott Olson/Getty
04 of 14 — John E. Sununu (U.S. Senate, New Hampshire)
John E. Sununu has long been associated with a political family: his father, John H. Sununu, served as governor of New Hampshire and later White House chief of staff, and his brother, Chris Sununu, served as governor. John E. Sununu — a former congressman and senator — is mounting a run to return to the Senate, seeking to replace the retiring incumbent and leaning on decades of name recognition in the state.
Angus King Jr. (center), a former governor and future senator of Maine, and his son Angus King III (right) at an event in Maine on Feb. 5, 2010.Credit: Jill Brady/Portland Press Herald via Getty
05 of 14 — Rep. Jonathan Jackson (Illinois)
Rep. Jonathan Jackson, one of the sons of civil-rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, is running for another term in Illinois. Jonathan emphasizes both his own record and the legacy of his family’s activism; at his father’s funeral he recounted voters’ expectations tied to family reputation and pledged to uphold those values in his work.
Chellie Pingree talks to supporters on June 10, 2008, in Portland, Maine. To her right is her daughter Hannah Pingree, a state legislatorCredit: Portland Press Herald via Getty
06 of 14 — Angus King III (Maine Governor Race)
Angus King III, son of Sen. Angus King, has entered Maine’s gubernatorial contest as a Democrat after his father has long been associated with independent politics. King III’s background in renewable energy and private-sector leadership informs his campaign as he seeks to translate the family name into a distinct political path.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Michael Alfonso at TurningPointUSA's annual conference in Phoenix on Dec. 21, 2025.Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty; Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty
07 of 14 — Hannah Pingree (Maine Governor Race)
Hannah Pingree, former speaker of the Maine House and daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree, is also running in the Democratic primary for governor. Despite the presence of several political scions in the race, polling has shown private-sector candidate Nirav Shah leading — underscoring that family pedigree alone doesn’t determine voter preference.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., at the Capitol on March 4.Credit: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
08 of 14 — Michael Alfonso (WI-7 Primary)
Michael Alfonso, a son-in-law of former Rep. Sean Duffy who appeared on Duffy’s family-focused reality project, is running in the Republican primary for Wisconsin’s 7th District. Reporting has highlighted campaign contributions Alfonso has received from industries connected to sectors Duffy once engaged with, raising questions about influence and donor relationships for a political newcomer.
Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., at a field hearing in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 16.Credit: Jim Vondruska/Getty
09 of 14 — Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (New Jersey)
New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. comes from a long line of public servants, including his father, former Gov. Tom Kean Sr., and ancestors who held congressional and senatorial posts. Kean Jr. drew attention recently after an extended absence from the House due to an undisclosed medical issue; family members and staff have said he intends to return to his duties as he recovers.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., speaks at a vigil outside the U.S. Capitol calling for an end of child detention by ICE on May 20.Credit: Leigh Vogel/Getty
10 of 14 — Rep. Rob Menendez (New Jersey)
Rob Menendez shares a surname with his father, former Sen. Bob Menendez, whose legal troubles in recent years have complicated the family’s political standing. Rob’s career demonstrates how a family name can be a mixed asset when a relative faces serious legal or ethical allegations.
Stefany Shaheen, a Democrat running for a New Hampshire congressional seat.Credit: Stefany Shaheen/Instagram
11 of 14 — Adelita Grijalva (Arizona)
Adelita Grijalva won a special election to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, and brings nearly two decades of local public-service experience, including long service on the Tucson school board and a seat on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Grijalva emphasizes her own record and rejects a simplistic “nepo baby” label, arguing that community roots and experience define her candidacy more than family ties.
Beau Bayh, a Democratic candidate for Indiana secretary of state.Credit: Beau Bayh/Facebook
12 of 14 — Stefany Shaheen (New Hampshire)
Stefany Shaheen is running for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District as her mother, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, prepares to retire from the Senate. Stefany stresses her independence as a former Portsmouth city councilor and biotech entrepreneur and has sought to differentiate her positions from those of her mother on specific policy deals.
President Donald Trump with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Washington on May 18.Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
13 of 14 — Beau Bayh (Indiana)
Beau Bayh, a 30-year-old Marine veteran with a Harvard law degree and a federal-court clerkship, is running statewide in Indiana. His family name — his father Evan Bayh and grandfather Birch Bayh both held statewide office — remains a salient factor in a deeply partisan state where voters remember the Bayh legacy.
14 of 14 — Family Networks Across Washington
Beyond campaign trails, family networks remain woven through federal institutions and political operations. High-profile families often place multiple members in public-facing roles or business positions that contribute to ongoing conversations about influence, access and public service. Observers note that name recognition can be an advantage, but it also prompts scrutiny of ethics, conflicts of interest and whether candidates can transcend or must reckon with their family legacies.
Note on reporting: This article synthesizes reported campaigns and public records. In several instances, legal matters and personnel roles have been the subject of evolving news coverage; where allegations or ongoing investigations exist, language has been kept neutral to reflect that status.
Help us improve.
