Other Political Offices

  • Twenty presidents were governors and/or in their state legislatures.
  • The following positions were held after their presidential terms ended:
  • Taylor, Grant, Eisenhower, and Trump did not hold other political offices before becoming president.

Rank#President# Presidents
1Governor20
3Thomas Jefferson (VA)
5James Monroe (VA)
7Andrew Jackson (FL Territory)
8Martin Van Buren (NY)
9William Henry Harrison (IN Territory, LA District, Northwest Territory)
10John Tyler (VA)
11James K. Polk (TN)
17Andrew Johnson (TN)
19Rutherford B. Hayes (OH)
22 & 24Grover Cleveland (NY)
25William McKinley (OH)
26Theodore Roosevelt (NY)
27William H. Taft (Cuba, Philippines)
28Woodrow Wilson (NJ)
30Calvin Coolidge (MA)
32Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY)
39Jimmy Carter (GA)
40Ronald Reagan (CA)
42Bill Clinton (AR)
43George W. Bush (TX)
1State Legislator20
3Thomas Jefferson (VA House)
4James Madison (VA House)
5James Monroe (VA House)
6John Quincy Adams (MA Senate)
8Martin Van Buren (NY Senate)
9William Henry Harrison (OH Senate)
10John Tyler (VA House)
11James K. Polk (TN House)
13Millard Fillmore (NY Assembly)
14Franklin Pierce (NH House)
15James Buchanan (PA House)
16Abraham Lincoln (IL House)
17Andrew Johnson (TN House & Senate)
20James A. Garfield (OH Senate)
26Theodore Roosevelt (NY Assembly)
29Warren G. Harding (OH Senate)
30Calvin Coolidge (MA House & Senate)
32Franklin D. Roosevelt (NY Senate)
39Jimmy Carter (GA Senate)
44Barack Obama (IL Senate)
3Member of the House of Representatives19
4James Madison (VA)
6John Quincy Adams (MA)
7Andrew Jackson (TN)
9William Henry Harrison (OH)
10John Tyler (VA)
11James K. Polk (TN)
13Millard Fillmore (NY)
14Franklin Pierce (NH)
15James Buchanan (PA)
16Abraham Lincoln (IL)
17Andrew Johnson (TN)
19Rutherford B. Hayes (OH)
20James A. Garfield (OH)
25William McKinley (OH)
35John F. Kennedy (MA)
36Lyndon B. Johnson (TX)
37Richard M. Nixon (CA)
38Gerald R. Ford (MI)
41George H. W. Bush (TX)
4Senator17
4James Madison (VA)
6John Quincy Adams (MA)
7Andrew Jackson (TN)
8Martin Van Buren (NY)
9William Henry Harrison (OH)
10John Tyler (VA)
14Franklin Pierce (NH)
15James Buchanan (PA)
17Andrew Johnson (TN)
23Benjamin Harrison (IN)
29Warren G. Harding (OH)
33Harry S. Truman (MO)
35John F. Kennedy (MA)
36Lyndon B. Johnson (TX)
37Richard M. Nixon (CA)
44Barack Obama (IL)
46Joe Biden (DE)
5Vice President15
2John Adams
3Thomas Jefferson
8Martin Van Buren
10John Tyler
13Millard Fillmore
17Andrew Johnson
21Chester A. Arthur
26Theodore Roosevelt
30Calvin Coolidge
33Harry S. Truman
36Lyndon B. Johnson
37Richard M. Nixon
38Gerald R. Ford
41George H. W. Bush
46Joe Biden
6Cabinet Secretary8
3Thomas Jefferson (State)
4James Madison (State)
5James Monroe (State, War)
6John Quincy Adams (State)
8Martin Van Buren (State)
15James Buchanan (State)
27William H. Taft (War)
31Herbert Hoover (Commerce)
6Ambassador8
2John Adams (Britain)
3Thomas Jefferson (France)
5James Monroe (France, Britain)
6John Quincy Adams (Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Britain)
8Martin Van Buren (Britain)
9William Henry Harrison (Gran Colombia)
15James Buchanan (Britain)
41George H. W. Bush (United Nations, China)
8Continental Congress5
1George Washington
2John Adams
3Thomas Jefferson
4James Madison
5James Monroe
9Supreme Court1
27William H. Taft (Chief Justice)
9Federal Director1
41George H. W. Bush (CIA)
9Confederate Congress1
10John Tyler

Return to Presidential Facts