Former State Legislators in the White House

President Obama is the first former state legislator to serve in America’s highest office since Jimmy Carter, joining him as the only two since World War II. He is the 22nd overall, meaning that exactly half of U.S. presidents served in colonial/state legislatures. 

Term dates do not reflect original research and may be marginally inaccurate.

Colonial Era (Five)

1. George Washington: Virginia House of Burgesses (1758-1774)

2. John Adams: Massachusetts General Court (1768-1774)

3. Thomas Jefferson: Virginia House of Burgesses (1769-1774)

4. James Madison: Virginia House of Delegates (1776-1777)

5. James Monroe: Virginia Assembly (1782-1783)

 United States (17)

6. John Quincy Adams: Massachusetts Senate (1802-1803)

8. Martin Van Buren: New York Senate (1813-1820)

9. William Henry Harrison: Ohio Senate (1819-1821)

10. John Tyler: Virginia House of Delegates (1811-1816)

11. James Polk: Tennessee House of Representatives (1823-1825)

13. Millard Fillmore: New York Assembly (1829-1831)

14. Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire House of Representatives (1829-1833)

15. James Buchanan: Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1814-1816)

16. Abraham Lincoln: Illinois House of Representatives (1834-1842)

17. Andrew Johnson: Tennessee House of Representatives, (1835-1837, 1839-1841), Tennessee Senate (1841-1843)

20. James Garfield: Ohio Senate (1859-1861)

26. Theodore Roosevelt: New York Assembly (1882-1884)

29. Warren G. Harding: Ohio Senate (1899-1903)

30. Calvin Coolidge: Massachusetts House of Representatives (1907-1908), Massachusetts Senate (1912-1915)

32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: New York Senate (1911-1913)

39. Jimmy Carter: Georgia Senate (1963-1966)

44. Barack Obama: Illinois Senate (1997-2004)

Vice Presidents

1. John Adams: Massachusetts General Court (1768-1774)

2. Thomas Jefferson: Virginia House of Burgesses (1969-1774)

3. Aaron Burr: New York State Assembly (1784-1785, 1798-1799)

4. George Clinton: New York Provincial Assembly (1768-1776)

5. Elbridge Gerry: Massachusetts General Court (1772-1776)

6. Daniel Tompkins: New York State Assembly (1803-1804)

7. John C. Calhoun: South Carolina House of Representatives (1808-1809)

8. Martin Van Buren: New York State Senate (1812-1820)

9. Richard Mentor Johnson: Kentucky House of Representatives (1804-1806)

10. John Tyler: Virginia House of Delegates (1811-1816, 1823-1825)

11. Millard Fillmore: New York State Assembly (1829-1831)

12. William R. King: North Carolina House of Commons (1807-1809)

13. John C. Breckinridge: Kentucky House of Representatives (1849-1850)

14. Hannibal Hamlin: Maine House of Representatives (1836-1841)

15. Andrew Johnson: Tennessee House (1835-1836, 1839-1840) Tennessee Senate (1841-1843)

16. Henry Wilson: Massachusetts House of Representatives (1841-1852)

17. William A. Wheeler: New York Assembly (1850-1851) New York Senate (1858-1860)

18. Thomas A. Hendricks: Indiana House of Representatives (1848-1850)

19. Garret Hobart: New Jersey General Assembly (1873-1875) New Jersey Senate (1876-1883)

20. Theodore Roosevelt: New York State Assembly (1882-1884)

21. Calvin Coolidge: Massachusetts House (1907-1908) Massachusetts Senate (1912-1915)

22. John Nance Garner: Texas House of Representatives (1898-1902) 

Former State Legislators in Congress

As of Jan. 4, 2013, the totals were as follows: 

U.S. Senate

46Total
27 Democrats
16 Republicans

U.S. House of Representatives

219Total (218 voting representatives)
92 Democrats (including one non-voting delegate)
126 Republicans
1 Independent (non-voting delegate)

Following the presidential and midterm elections and periodically thereafter, NCSL updates its list of former state legislators elected to Congress.