Political dynasties are making a comeback.
The offspring of current, former and retiring members and senators will grace the ballot in 2026 in a slew of states across the country. And in many of these races, their familiar surnames could prove an asset.
This dynamic was front and center last week as the Senate finally ended the longest-ever government shutdown. Two of the key votes, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Angus King (I-Maine), both have children running for office who had to weigh in on their parents’ decision to cut a deal with Republicans.
Stefany Shaheen, who is running for an open House seat in New Hampshire, opposed the deal her mother helped broker because it didn’t include an agreement to extend the Obamacare premium tax credits. The elder Shaheen, who is retiring, didn’t seem offended. She praised her daughter’s independence.
King’s son, Angus King III, declined to criticize his father’s vote to reopen the government. King is in a crowded Maine gubernatorial race. His primary competition includes former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, the daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).
And Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who succeeded her father, the late Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), became a national icon for Democrats after Speaker Mike Johnson refused to swear her in during the shutdown. Grijalva’s first act — becoming the 218th signature on the Jeffrey Epstein petition, which will be on the House floor today.
Other famous names are seeking to join the family business. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is running for an open House seat in the heart of New York City. He would join several members of the Kennedy clan who have served in the House or Senate. Tom Begich, a member of the Alaska political dynasty, is running for governor in the Last Frontier.
Former Biden administration official Jake Levine is challenging Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) for a Los Angeles-based House seat. Levine’s father, former Democratic Rep. Mel Levine, last represented California in the 1990s. Jim Kingston, the son of former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), is running to fill the seat of Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.). Carter is running for Senate.
And two scions of well-established political dynasties are attempting comeback bids to win seats they previously held: former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who went to prison for illegally siphoning off $750,000 in campaign funds for personal use more than a decade ago. Another of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s sons is already serving in the House — Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.).
