List of American politicians of Irish descent explained

This is a list of notable Irish American politicians.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is Irish American and a notable politician.

A–L

• Harry M. Daugherty
• Chester A. Arthur – 21st President of the United States
• David Baird Sr. – born in County Londonderry, Ireland, US Senator
• David Baird Jr. – son of David Baird Sr.; US Senator
• James G. Barry – St. Louis mayor^[1]
• William B. Barry – US Congressman
• Joe Biden – current President of the United States, 47th Vice President of the United States; mother was of Irish ancestry, father of partial Irish ancestry
• Edward P. Boland – US Congressman^[2]
• James E. Boyd – Omaha mayor^[3]
• Brendan Boyle – US Congressman
• Bob Brady – US Congressman^[4]
• William J. Brady – New Mexico Territorial representative and Sheriff of Lincoln County, from County Cavan
• David C. Broderick – US Senator^[5]
• John T. Browne – Houston mayor^[6]
• William Jennings Bryan – US Secretary of State
• Billy Bulger – President of the Massachusetts State Senate^[7]
• Aedanus Burke – US Congressman^[8]
• Thomas Burke – North Carolina governor^[9]
• Thomas A. Burke – Cleveland mayor, US Senator^[10]
• William J. Burke – US Congressman^[11]
• Prescott Bush – banker/US Senator
• Brendan Byrne – former Governor of New Jersey
• Jane Byrne – Chicago mayor^[12]
• Thomas R. Byrne – St. Paul mayor^[13]
• James F. Byrnes – US Senator^[14]
• William T. Cahill – New Jersey governor^{[15] [16]}
• Hugh Carey – New York governor^[17]
• Christopher P. Carney – US Congressman
• Charles Carroll of Carrollton – the sole Catholic signatory of the American Declaration of Independence^[18]
• Bob Casey Jr. – US Senator and former Pennsylvania state treasurer
• Robert P. Casey – former Pennsylvania governor^[19]
• Bill Cassidy – US Senator
• Jerome Cavanagh – Detroit mayor
• John Michael Clancy – US Congressman^[20]
• Grover Cleveland – 22nd and 24th President of the United States
• Bill Clinton – 42nd President of the United States
• DeWitt Clinton – New York City mayor^[21]
• W. Bourke Cockran – US Congressman^[22]
• John F. Collins – Boston mayor
• Patrick Collins – Boston mayor^[23]
• Susan Collins – US Senator
• Martin Condon – Knoxville mayor^[24]
• John Conness – US Senator^[25]
• James Cooney – US Congressman^[26]
• Chris Coons - US Senator^[27]
• John Coughlin – First Ward Alderman in Chicago, 1893–1938^[28]
• Richard Croker – Tammany Hall boss^[29]
• Joseph Crowley – US Congressman^[30]
• Ted Cruz - Texas Senator^[31]
• James Michael Curley – legendary Boston mayor, US Congressman, and Massachusetts governor^[32]
• Thomas Cusack – US Congressman^[33]
• Richard J. Daley – Chicago mayor^[34]
• Richard M. Daley – Chicago mayor; son of Richard J. Daley
• William M. Daley – U.S. Secretary of Commerce; son of Richard J. Daley
• Charles Patrick Daly – Chief Justice of New York Court of Common Pleas
• John Darragh – Pittsburgh mayor^[35]
• Jefferson Davis – Confederate President
• William Dawson – St. Paul mayor
• Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) – President of Ireland, dominant political figure in 20th-century Ireland^[36]
• John J. Dempsey – New Mexico governor
• John N. Dempsey – Connecticut governor
• Thomas Dongan governor of New York In the 1660s
• Michael Donohoe – US Congressman^[37]
• Bob Dornan – former US Congressman from California
• John G. Downey – California governor^[38]
• Mike Doyle – US Congressman from Pennsylvania^[39]
• James Duane – New York City mayor^[40]
• Warren J. Duffey – US Congressman from Ohio, also Ohio's 9th congressional district^[41]
• Tom Dunn – Mayor, Elizabeth, New Jersey
• Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne – Chicago mayor and Illinois governor
• Dick Durbin – US Senator
• Thomas F. Eagleton – US Senator Missouri 1968–1987; grandfather born in County Mayo; paternal grandmother also Irish
• Mark M. Fagan – Jersey City mayor^[42]
• Mike Fahey – Omaha mayor^[43]
• Thomas Fallon – San Jose mayor
• James A. Farley – Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, US Postmaster General^[44]
• John Frederick Finerty – US Congressman
• Joseph E. Finerty – Gary mayor
• John F. Fitzgerald – Boston mayor, father of Rose Kennedy
• John Fitzpatrick – New Orleans mayor
• Mike Fitzpatrick – US Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Thomas Fitzsimons – US Congressman
• Peter F. Flaherty – former Pittsburgh mayor
• Michael P. Flanagan – US Congressman
• Daniel J. Flood – US Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Raymond Flynn – Boston mayor
• William S. Flynn – Rhode Island governor
• Mark Foley – US Congressman from Florida
• Michael Forbes – former US Congressman from New York
• Thomas Gallagher – Pittsburgh mayor
• Martin Galvin – founder of NORAID
• William F. Galvin – Massachusetts Secretary of State
• J. Joseph Garrahy – Rhode Island governor
• William Jay Gaynor – New York City mayor
• Charles P. Gillen – Newark mayor
• Kirsten Gillibrand – US Senator, mother is of Irish descent
• Thomas F. Gilroy – New York City mayor
• James P. Gleason – County executive of Montgomery County, Maryland^[45]
• Patrick Gleason – Long Island City political machine boss
• Martin H. Glynn – New York governor
• William R. Grace – New York City mayor
• J. Harold Grady – Baltimore mayor
• William T. Granahan – US Congressman
• Ulysses S. Grant – 18th President of the United States
• Horace Greeley – Newspaper publisher/US Congressman
• James D. Griffin – Mayor of Buffalo, New York, New York State Senator
• Frank Hague – Jersey City mayor
• James M. Hanley – US Congressman
• Warren G. Harding – 29th President of the United States
• Benjamin Harrison – 23rd President of the United States
• Maura Healey – Massachusetts Attorney General
• Jerramiah T. Healy – Jersey City mayor
• William Randolph Hearst – Newspaper publisher/US Congressman
• James J. Heffernan – US Congressman
• Brian Higgins – US Congressman
• John Hogan – US Congressman
• Larry Hogan – governor of Maryland
• John Patrick Hopkins – Chicago mayor
• Harry R. Hughes – Governor of Maryland
• Richard J. Hughes – Governor of New Jersey
• Charles F. Hurley – Massachusetts governor
• Denis M. Hurley – US Congressman
• Robert A. Hurley – Connecticut Governor
• Henry Hyde – US Congressman
• John F. Hylan – New York City mayor
• John B. Hynes – Boston mayor
• Andrew Jackson – 7th President of the United States
• Andrew Johnson – 17th President of the United States
• Lyndon B. Johnson – 36th President of the United States
• Thomas Kean – former Governor of New Jersey
• Frank Keating – Oklahoma governor
• William J. Keating – former Congressman from Ohio
• Augustine B. Kelley – US Congressman
• Patrick H. Kelley – US Congressman
• Edward A. Kelly – US Congressman
• Edward Joseph Kelly – Chicago mayor
• John Kelly – Tammany Hall boss
• Joseph J. Kelly – Buffalo mayor
• Mark Kelly – US Senator
• Randy Kelly – St. Paul mayor
• Richard C. Kerens – Ambassador to Austria-Hungary 1909–1913
• Michael Kenna – First Ward Alderman in Chicago 1897–1923

• Caroline Kennedy – US Ambassador
• Edward M. Kennedy – longtime US Senator
• Edward M. Kennedy, Jr – Connecticut State Senator
• John F. Kennedy – 35th President of the United States
• Joseph P. Kennedy – US Ambassador
• Joseph P. Kennedy II – former US Congressman
• Joseph P. Kennedy III – US Congressman
• Kathleen Kennedy Townsend – former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• Mark Kennedy – former US Congressman
• Patrick J. Kennedy – former Member Massachusetts House of Representatives; former Massachusetts Senator
• Patrick J. Kennedy II – former US Congressman
• Robert F. Kennedy – US Attorney General, US Senator, New York
• Jean Kennedy Smith – former US Ambassador
• Martin H. Kennelly – Chicago mayor
• John V. Kenny – Jersey City mayor
• John Kerrigan – Boston mayor
• Peter T. King – US Congressman
• Conor Lamb – US Congressman
• Patrick Leahy – US Senator, father is of Irish descent
• Huey Long – Louisiana governor
• Robert Lowry – US Congressman
• Stephen Lynch – US Congressman
• Thomas Lynch Jr. – signatory to the Declaration of Independence

M–Z

• Lisa Madigan – Illinois Attorney General
• Michael Madigan – Illinois Speaker of the House, Illinois Democratic Party Chairman
• George Maguire – St. Louis mayor
• Dan Malloy – Connecticut governor; Stamford, CT mayor
• Sean Patrick Maloney – US Congressman
• Frederick Mansfield – Boston mayor
• Mike Mansfield – US Senator, Ambassador
• Thomas J. Manton – US Congressman
• Edward Markey – US Senator
• William McAleer – US Congressman
• Gerald McCann – Jersey City mayor
• Patrick McCarran – US Senator
• Carolyn McCarthy – US Congressman
• Eugene McCarthy – US Senator
• Joseph McCarthy – US Senator
• Kevin McCarthy – Speaker of the House
• P. H. McCarthy – San Francisco mayor
• William C. McCarthy – Pittsburgh mayor
• Mitch McConnell –Senate Minority Leader
• Frank McCoppin – San Francisco mayor
• John W. McCormack – Speaker of the House
• Jim McDermott – US Congressman
• John J. McDonough – St. Paul mayor
• Lawrence E. McGann – US Congressman
• J. Howard McGrath – US Senator, Rhode Island governor
• John J. McGrath – US Congressman
• James McGreevey – New Jersey governor
• Edwin D. McGuinness – Providence mayor
• James Kennedy McGuire – Syracuse mayor
• Thomas McKean – signatory to the Declaration of Independence^[46]
• Bernard J. McKenna – Pittsburgh mayor
• Joseph McKenna – US Attorney General
• William McKinley – 25th President of the United States^[47]
• Hugh McLaughlin – Brooklyn Democratic party boss
• Joseph McLaughlin – US Congressman
• Robert McNamara – United States Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy
• Frank J. McNulty – US Congressman
• Michael R. McNulty – US Congressman
• Marty Meehan – US Congressman
• John Purroy Mitchel – New York City mayor
• Robert M. Moore – Cincinnati mayor
• Jim Moran – US Congressman
• John Morrissey – US Congressman
• William J. Moxley – US Congressman
• Daniel Patrick Moynihan – former US Senator
• P. H. Moynihan – US Congressman
• Bryan Mullanphy – St. Louis mayor
• William D. Mullins – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and baseball player
• Lisa Murkowski – US Senator^[48]
• Charles F. Murphy – Tammany Hall boss
• Chris Murphy – US Senator and former Congressman
• Dick Murphy – San Diego mayor
• Frank Murphy – Detroit mayor, Michigan governor
• George Murphy – US Senator
• Isaac Murphy – Arkansas governor
• Morgan F. Murphy – US Congressman
• Philip D. Murphy – New Jersey governor
• Timothy Murphy – US Congressman
• Tom Murphy – Pittsburgh mayor
• William T. Murphy – US Congressman
• James C. Murray – US Congressman
• Timothy P. Murray – Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
• John Murtha – US Congressman
• Richard Neal – US Congressman
• Richard Nixon – 37th President of the United States
• Michael N. Nolan – Albany mayor
• Mary T. Norton – US Congressman
• Barack Obama – 44th President of the United States^[49]
• Frank O'Bannon – Indiana governor
• Christopher D. O'Brien – St. Paul mayor
• Hugh O'Brien – Boston's first Irish mayor
• James O'Brien – US Congressman
• John P. O'Brien – New York City mayor
• Thomas J. O’Brien – US Congressman
• Dan O'Connell – Albany mayor
• Bob O'Connor – Mayor of Pittsburgh
• Maureen O'Connor – San Diego mayor
• Herbert R. O'Conor – Maryland governor
• Kenneth O'Donnell – Senior Aide to President John F Kennedy
• William O'Dwyer – New York City mayor
• James A. O'Gorman – US Senator
• Barratt O'Hara – US Congressman
• Arthur J. O'Keefe – New Orleans mayor
• Martin O'Malley – Baltimore mayor
• Charles H. O'Neill – Jersey City mayor
• Thomas O'Neill – Speaker of the House
• William A. O'Neill – Connecticut governor
• Daniel O'Reilly – US Congressman
• Beto O’Rourke, – US Congressman and Presidential candidate
• George F. O'Shaunessy – US Congressman
• George Pataki – New York governor^[50]
• Mike Pence – 48th Vice President of the United States; 50th Governor of Indiana
• Tom Pendergast – Kansas City Democratic machine boss
• James D. Phelan – San Francisco mayor, US Senator
• George Washington Plunkitt – Tammany Hall member
• Samantha Power – US Ambassador
• Jack Quinn – US Congressman
• John Quinn – US Congressman

• Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) – 40th President of the United States (1981–1989); 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975); father was Irish-American^[51]
• Thomas Reilly – Massachusetts Attorney General
• Daniel J. Riordan – US Congressman
• Richard Riordan – former Los Angeles mayor
• William R. Roberts – US Congressman
• John J. Rooney – US Congressman
• Jim Ryan – former Illinois Attorney General; father was Irish, mother was Italian
• Paul Ryan – US Congressman and 2012 Vice Presidential nominee; father was of Irish ancestry
• Tim Ryan – US Congressman
• William Ryan – US Congressman
• Mary Gay Scanlon – US Congresswoman from Pennsylvania
• Wilson Shannon – Ohio governor
• H. James Shea Jr. – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• William F. Sheehan – Buffalo democratic machine boss
• John Sheridan – New Jersey Transportation Commissioner
• James Shields – US Senator
• Peter Joseph Shields – Superior Court Judge, Jeffersonian Democrat, for 49 years; founder of University of California at Davis, and the McGeorge Law School; son of John Shields, County Donegal, Ireland and Elizabeth Bowe, County Waterford, Ireland^[52]
• Sargent Shriver – Democratic politician
• Al Smith – New York governor, Democratic Party presidential candidate (Irish born grandparents from Westmeath; Smith identified as an Irish American)
• James Smith – signatory to the Declaration of Independence
• Peter J. Somers – Milwaukee mayor
• Brian P. Stack – Mayor of Union City, New Jersey^[53]
• Michael J. Stack – US Congressman
• Christopher D. Sullivan – US Congressman
• James Sullivan – Massachusetts governor
• Patrick Joseph Sullivan – US Senator
• Timothy Sullivan – US Congressman
• Jane Swift – first woman to serve as Massachusetts governor
• William Howard Taft – 27th President of the United States
• James Tate – first Catholic mayor of Philadelphia
• George Taylor – signatory to the Declaration of Independence
• Charles Thomson – secretary to the Continental Congress
• Matthew Thornton – signatory to the Declaration of Independence
• John F. Tierney – US Congressman
• Maurice J. Tobin – Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor
• Harry S. Truman – 33rd President of the United States
  • Joseph Patrick Tumulty – attorney/secretary to Woodrow Wilson John V. Tunney – US Senator
• William M. Tweed – Political boss/US Congressman
• Jimmy Walker – New York City mayor
• David I. Walsh – Massachusetts' first Catholic governor
• James T. Walsh – US Congressman
• Marty Walsh – Boston mayor
• Patrick Walsh – US Senator
• Thomas W. Ward – Austin mayor
• Thomas J. Whelan – Jersey City mayor
• Woodrow Wilson – 28th President of the United States
• William Whipple – signatory to the Declaration of Independence
• Kevin White – Boston mayor

Notes and References

1. Web site: St. Louis Mayors . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203051/http://exhibits.slpl.org/mayors/data/dt44025946.asp . 2007-09-27 . "James G. Barry was born in Ireland in 1800..."
2. Web site: History 2 - Holyoke St. Patricks Parade . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040430030559/http://www.holyokestpatricksparade.com/stpats_subpages/history2_subpage.ads . 2004-04-30 .
3. Web site: James E. Boyd Bio . 2024-01-23.
4. Web site: The Conversation: The world's oldest profession.
5. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Brockson to Bronsdon.
6. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Brown-clark to Brownfield . 2024-01-23 . politicalgraveyard.com.
7. Web site: Bulger Awarded Degree by National University of Ireland . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040929194044/http://64.226.34.179/churches_schools/bulgerdegree71002.htm . 2004-09-29 . "Bulger, one of the most successful Irish-American politicians of his generation..."
8. Web site: Burke . 2024-01-23.
9. Web site: T. Burke . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070202210514/http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/governors/BurkeT.html . 2007-02-02 . "Thomas Burke, born about 1747 in Galway, Ireland, moved to Orange County in North Carolina about 1770 from Virginia..."
10. http://www.celticcousins.net/irishiniowa/galwayobits.htm
11. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Burke . 2024-01-23 . politicalgraveyard.com.
12. Web site: 2018-10-08 . Weekend Update with Jane Curtin & Bill Murray - SNL Transcripts Tonight . 2024-01-23 . en-US.
13. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Catholic Politicians in Minnesota.
14. Web site: Ryan Sneed's 2003 Luncheon Address . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041222160444/http://www.byrnesscholars.org/perspectives/sneed%2003%20p1.htm . 2004-12-22 . "He was the grandson of Irish Catholic immigrants who came to American after the Great Irish ..."
15. News: Stout. David. William T. Cahill, 84, Former Governor. New York Times. 2 July 1996.
16. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114324032/the-record-2-july-1996/ The Record 2 July 1996
17. Web site: National Committee on American Foreign Policy . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070601020311/http://www.ncafp.org/about/presscorner/peaceaward_pressrelease.htm . 2007-06-01 .
18. Web site: Biography of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, page 1 | Colonial Hall. 2007-01-20. 2021-02-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226020646/http://www.colonialhall.com/carroll/carroll.php. dead.
19. Web site: $antorum Watch Schumer and Casey: The Right to Choose. 2007-01-20 . 2007-09-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210827/http://mysite.verizon.net/lardil/id451.html . dead .
20. Web site: John Michael CLANCY, Congress, NY (1837-1903) . 2024-01-23 . www.infoplease.com . en.
21. http://www.lakelandschools.org/lt/NewYorkVM/peopleclinton.htm "He was the son of an Irish-American Revolutionary War hero and a Dutch mother."
22. Web site: Cockran, William Bourke | Infoplease.
23. Web site: Irish Heritage Trail . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061215175452/http://www.irishheritagetrail.com/collins.html . 2006-12-15 . "Patrick Collins (1844–1905) was the second Irish-born mayor in Boston's history..."
24. Web site: Metro Pulse/Secret History/Pooh Bah Go Bragh . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070310201100/http://www.metropulse.com/dir_zine/dir_2001/1111/t_secret.html . 2007-03-10 . "The career of Knoxville's first Irish Catholic mayor..."
25. Web site: Bioguide Search . 2024-01-23 . bioguide.congress.gov.
26. Web site: James COONEY, Congress, MO (1848–1904).
27. Web site: 2013-07-27 . Chris Coons ancestry . 2024-03-15 . web.archive.org . 2013-07-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130727081417/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/coons.htm . bot: unknown .
28. Web site: Irish.
29. Web site: Richard Croker . 2024-01-23 . Spartacus Educational.
30. Web site: Man of the Year:Congressman Joseph Crowley . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060105014600/http://www.junipercivic.com/berry/0303/manoftheyear.html . 2006-01-05 . "Crowley was also named one of the Top 100 Irish American Leaders..."
31. News: "Black Irish" Ted Cruz may face birther questions of his own.
32. Web site: James Curley . 2024-01-23 . Spartacus Educational.
33. Web site: Thomas CUSACK, Congress, IL (1858-1926) . 2024-01-23 . www.infoplease.com . en.
34. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Chicago7/Daley2.html "Richard J. Daley, an only child, was born in 1902 into an Irish Catholic neighborhood of south Chicago..."
35. Web site: Beers: Darragh p. 1011 . 2024-01-23 . www.chartiers.com.
36. Web site: BBC - History - Eamon de Valera . 2024-01-23 . www.bbc.co.uk . en-GB.
37. Web site: Roundcube Webmail :: Welcome to Roundcube Webmail . 2024-01-23 . webmail.email.hosting.
38. Web site: Downey, California History . 2007-07-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070805023915/http://www.downeyca.com/hist.htm . 2007-08-05 . "John G. Downey, who became governor at the early age of 32, was born in Ireland..."
39. Web site: News Releases . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070110140158/http://www.house.gov/doyle/newsrel/072805pr.htm . 2007-01-10 .
40. Web site: Kiss Me, I'm Irish - Romantic Getaway in New York . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010730/http://www.allgetaways.com/view_destination.asp?destinationid=XGP309-003 . 2007-09-28 . "James Duane, son of an Irish-born merchant, became the first Irish-American mayor in 1784..."
41. Web site: Bioguide Search.
42. Web site: The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Faalevao to Fairburn.
43. Web site: Naas Youth Parliament – Omaha – Nebraska.
44. Web site: Farley James . 2024-01-23.
45. "His Career Began on Capitol Hill: Gleason Doesn't Like 'Conservative' Label". The Washington Post. October 24, 1974. p. H1.
46. Web site: Biography of Thomas M'Kean, page 1 | Colonial Hall. 2007-01-20. 2005-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20051201142042/http://www.colonialhall.com/mckean/mckean.php. dead.
47. Web site: Biography of William McKinley . 2007-01-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060410081315/http://www.mckinley.lib.oh.us/museum/biography.htm . 2006-04-10 . "He was the 7th child born to William and Nancy Alison McKinley (of Irish and Scottish descent)."
48. Web site: 2008-10-07 . murkowski . 2024-03-15 . web.archive.org . 2008-10-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081007025137/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/murkowski.htm . bot: unknown .
49. News: 'Irish Obama' song is web hit. 9 November 2008.
50. https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e2332.htm "The grandson of Hungarian immigrants on his father's side and Italian and Irish immigrants on his mother's side, Pataki grew up on a small farm in Peekskill..."
51. Web site: AILF Salutes Irish Americans . 2006-07-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060619113504/http://www.ailf.org/awards/ahp_0102_index.asp . 2006-06-19 . Noted as one of "Irish American Political Leaders"; paternal grandparents, John Michael Reagan and Jennie Cusick, were both the children of Irish immigrants
52. The Sacramento Bee, volume 200-no. 32,311 and many other articles in the Bee
53. Di Ionno, Mark (November 29, 2016). "Fidel Castro is dead, but scars remain in Union City". NJ.com.