This is a list of United States politicians who were born outside the present-day United States, its territories (the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), and its outlying possessions. This list does not include politicians from the Philippines (such as Resident Commissioners of the Philippines), which was held under various forms of government as an American territory from 1898 to 1946 before becoming a sovereign country.
United States citizenship is required to serve in Congress, as President or Vice President, and in most state offices. The President and the Vice President must additionally be a 'natural-born citizen'. Foreign-born politicians may gain U.S. citizenship by means of birth (if one or both of their parents were citizens who met the requirements to transmit citizenship at birth), derivation (if they acquired citizenship from their parents after birth but before the age of 18), or naturalization (if they acquired citizenship by fulfilling the requirements of the naturalization process as established in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952).
Incumbents
Members of Congress
Senators
Senator | Country/Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Serving Since | Position(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michael Bennet | ![]() |
Birth | Democratic | 2009 | U.S. Senator from Colorado; previously Superintendent of Denver Public Schools |
Ted Cruz | ![]() |
Birth | Republican | 2013 | U.S. Senator from Texas; previously Solicitor General of Texas |
Tammy Duckworth | ![]() |
Birth | Democratic | 2017 | U.S. Senator from Illinois; previously U.S. Representative from Illinois, Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs |
Mazie Hirono | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | 2013 | U.S. Senator from Hawaii; previously U.S. Representative from Hawaii and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii |
Chris Van Hollen | ![]() |
Birth | Democratic | 2017 | U.S. Senator from Maryland; previously U.S. Representative from Maryland, Maryland State Senator, and Maryland State Delegate |
Representatives
Cabinet members
Cabinet Member | Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Positions Held |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jennifer Granholm | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | United States Secretary of Energy |
Alejandro Mayorkas | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | United States Secretary of Homeland Security |
Governors
Governor | Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Serving Since | Position(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joe Lombardo | ![]() |
Birth | Republican | 2023 | Sheriff of Clark County and Governor of Nevada |
Statewide officials
Official | Country/Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Position(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rob Bonta | ![]() |
Birth | Democratic | Attorney General of California |
John F. King | ![]() |
Birth | Republican | Insurance Commissioner of Georgia |
Sylvia Luke | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii |
Sabina Matos | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island |
Aruna Miller | ![]() |
Unknown | Democratic | Lieutenant Governor of Maryland |
Tregenza Roach | ![]() |
Unknown | Democratic | Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |
Winsome Sears | ![]() |
Naturalization | Republican | Lieutenant Governor of Virginia |
Mayors
Mayor | Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Serving Since | Position(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sokhary Chau | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | 2022 | Mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts |
Wilmot Collins | ![]() |
Naturalization | Independent, later Democratic |
2018 | Mayor of Helena, Montana |
Karen Goh | ![]() |
Naturalization | Republican | 2017 | Mayor of Bakersfield, California |
Glenn Jacobs | ![]() |
Birth | Republican | 2018 | Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee |
Esther Manheimer | ![]() |
Birth | Democratic | 2013 | Mayor of Asheville, North Carolina |
Oscar Leeser | ![]() |
Naturalization | Democratic | 2021 | Mayor of El Paso, Texas |
State legislators
Others
Former
Members of Congress
Senators
Representatives
Delegates
Cabinet members
Governors
Statewide officials
Governor | Country/Place of Birth | Citizenship by | Party | Position(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|---|
Richard Corcoran | ![]() |
Unknown | Republican | Education Commissioner of Florida |
Kris Kolluri | ![]() |
Unknown | Democratic | New Jersey Comissioner of Transportation |
William Q. Dallmeyer | ![]() |
Unknown | Republican | State Treasurer of Missouri and Missouri State Representative |
Leo T. McCarthy | ![]() |
Unknown | Democratic | Lieutenant Governor of California; previously California State Assemblyman (Speaker) and San Francisco Supervisor |
Mayors
State legislators
Others
Totals
Totals by country
Modern country | Number of
politicians |
---|---|
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68 |
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47 |
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24 |
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22 |
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12 |
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11 |
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10 |
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9 |
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9 |
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8 |
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8 |
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7 |
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6 |
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5 |
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5 |
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4 |
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4 |
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3 |
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3 |
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3 |
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3 |
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3 |
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3 |
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3 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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2 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |