Arizona State University (ASU) has graduated a number of notable people in government and politics. This includes graduates and non-graduate former students who are notable for their achievements within government and politics, sometimes before or after their time at ASU. Other alumni can be found in the list of Arizona State University alumni and its partial lists.
Federal legislators
+ Name Class year Notes Ref. 1999 (MA) U.S. congressman for Arizona, 2017– 1962 U.S. congressman for California, 1969–1983 2012 U.S. congressman for Arizona, 2025– 1896 U.S. Senator, Arizona's first representative to Congress 1951 U.S. representative from Hawaii, 1977–1986; founder of Heftel Broadcasting 1950 U.S. senator from Iowa, 1979–1985 1962 U.S. congressman, state senator, mayor of Tempe 1966 U.S. congressman, Maricopa County supervisor 1947 U.S. congressman; fighter pilot in World War II 1981 U.S. congressman, Arizona gubernatorial candidate 1988 U.S. congressman, state representative 1999 (MSW) U.S. senator from Arizona 1951 U.S. congressman
Federal: Other + Name Class year Notes Ref. 1969 First lady of Arizona, U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States 1972 U.S. Secretary of the Air Force, ambassador to Finland 2011 Former senior adviser to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth CIA operative, congressional candidate, U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic Foreign service official, U.S. ambassador to Suriname 1977 Police chief of Houston, worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (MSW) Assistant Secretary for Family Support at the Department of Health and Human Services Undersecretary of defense at the Department of Defense Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) 1994 (MBA) Deputy Secretary of Transportation 1989 Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Conair Corporation executive and diplomat (attended) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs Under Secretary of Defense for Policy 2002 Acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 1979 U.S. ambassador to Serbia Republican speechwriter
Arizona: Statewide office + Name Class year Notes Ref. 1974 (MPA) Arizona Secretary of State, 1997–2002 1984 Arizona Secretary of State, 2009–2014; state senator 1977 Arizona Corporation Commissioner, 2013–2015 Arizona Attorney General, 2015–2023 1918 Arizona Attorney General, 1937–1944 1986 Governor of Arizona, 2015–2023; Arizona State Treasurer; president and CEO of Cold Stone Creamery Arizona Secretary of State, 2023– (JD) Arizona Attorney General, 2003–2011; mayor of Phoenix, 1984–1990 (MSW) Governor of Arizona, 2023–; previously Secretary of State Governor of Arizona, 1997–2003; took graduate courses in political science and economics at ASU (MBA) Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2011–2015 (MA) Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1995–2001 Corporation Commissioner, 2009–2013 and 2019–2023; state legislator, 1987–1999 (MPA) Arizona State Treasurer, 2018–2019 Arizona Attorney General, 1974–1975 (attended) Arizona Secretary of State, 1991–1995 Arizona State Treasurer, 2007–2011 Arizona Attorney General, Corporation Commissioner Governor of Arizona, 1987–1988 1957 Arizona Attorney General, 1968–1974; appeals court judge, 1974–1978 2004 Corporation Commissioner, 2017–2023; state legislator, 2011–2017 and 2025– Corporation Commissioner, 2021–2025 Corporation Commissioner, 2006–2009; state legislator, 1993–2000 1979 Attorney General, 1991–1999 (MPA) Arizona State Treasurer, 2019–; state senator
Arizona: Legislature + Name Class year Notes Ref. 2000 State senator, 2006–2007 and 2013–2015; state representative, 2007–2013 Maricopa County Treasurer; state legislator, 2013–2021 State senator, 1977–1995 and 2019–present; representative, 2011–2019 State representative, 2007-2011 and 2019–2021; state senator, 2011–2019 and 2021–2023 State representative, 2017–2019 2020 (JD) State representative, 2021–2023; First Lady of the Navajo Nation State representative, 2023–present 1962 State representative, 1999–2001 1984 State representative, 2022–present State senator, 2017–2023 State representative, 2013–2019; state senator, 2019–2023 1958 State representative, 1962–1966; state senator, 1966–1972, first African-American elected to the Arizona Senate 2014 State representative, 2019–2023 State representative, 2011–2019; state senator, 2019–2021 (MA) State representative, 2025–present State representative, 1997–2003 State senator, 1991–2001; Pima County supervisor 2003 State representative, 2017–2019 1993 (JD) State representative, 2006–2011; state senator, 2011–2017; Maricopa County Superior Court judge State representative, 2021–2023; state senator, 2023–present State representative, 1997–2001 and 2011–2019; state senator, 2019–present 1971 State representative, 2009–2013; state senator, 2013–2015 1991 State senator, 2007–2010 State representative, 2017–2025 State representative, 2023–present 2008 State representative, 2021–2023; state senator, 2023–present State senator, 2001–2006 (attended) State representative, 2019–2023 1981 State representative, 1983–1997; director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture and member of the Arizona Board of Regents 1968 (MAE) State representative, 2003–2011 1992 (MA) State senator, 2025–present; Tempe city councilmember State representative, 2013–2015; Scottsdale city councilmember State senator, 2007–2015 1988 State representative, 2013–2019 and 2023–present; state senator, 2013–2019 (MSW) State representative, 2024–present 2007 State representative, 2003–2011 1975 State representative, 1979–1995, 2003–2007, 2011–2017; state senator, 2007–2011 2008 State representative, 2013–2015; state senator, 2015–2023 State representative, 2011–2019; state senator, 2019–present 2001 State representative, 2011–2015; state senator; 2015–2019 and 2023–present 1988 State representative, 2013–2019 2004 State representative, 2009-2017 and 2023–present; state senator, 2017 State representative, 2017–2021 2014 State representative, 2023–2025; state senator, 2025–present State senator, 2019–2023 2000 State representative, 2011–2015 (MSW, MPA) State representative, 2015–2017 2001 State representative, 2012–2015; state senator, 2015–2023 State representative, 2021–2024 1959 State representative, 1983–1989; newspaper reporter, mayor of Glendale, promoter of ASU's West campus 1973 State representative, 2005–2009; state senator, 1983–1995, 1997–2005 1989 State representative, 1995–2001 and 2015–2019; state senator, 2005–2011 and 2019–2023 2004 State representative, 2015–2021 and 2025–present 2011 State representative, 2017–2023 State representative, 2007–2011; state senator, 2011–2013 (BA, MPA) State senator, 2025–present State senator, 2023–present State representative, 2013–2015; state senator, 2015–2017 2008 State representative, 2013–2021; state senator, 2021–present State representative, 2019–2023 Mayor of Mesa, 1980–1984; state representative, 1987–1988 (attended) 2018 State representative, 2017–2019 1977 State senator, 2003–2010; mayor of Chandler 2012 State representative, 2013–2021; state senator, 2021–2023 2003 Arizona state senator and representative 1992 (MA) State senator, 2003–2010; Phoenix city councilmember 2013 State representative, 2021–present 1968 State representative, 2003–2011; state senator, 2011–2019
Arizona: Other + Name Class year Notes Ref. 2004 (JD) Maricopa County Attorney, 2019–2022 Union organizer and chair of the Arizona Democratic Party 1971 Perennial political candidate First Lady of Arizona 1993 2018 Arizona gubernatorial candidate 1987 (JD) Mayor of Mesa, 2017–2025 1949 Phoenix city councilman, 1972–1994 1978 (JD) Mayor of Phoenix, 2004–2012 Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, 2013–2017 Executive director of the Arizona Republican Party 1992 (JD) Maricopa County Attorney, 2022–present 1985 Founding president of the Center for Arizona Policy and president of Arizona Christian University; 2006 Arizona gubernatorial candidate 1973 Scottsdale city councilman, 2006–2010 2016 Tempe city councilmember 1970 Education activist and Prescott city councilmember, 2015–2021 First African-American mayor of Chandler (attended) 1953 Tuskegee Airman and civil rights activist 1988 Member of the Arizona Board of Regents 1974 Maricopa County Attorney 1991 Police chief of Buckeye 1985 (MBA) Mayor of Mesa, 2009–2014 Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, 2024– 2018 Mayor of Tempe, 2020–
Non-Arizona + Name Class year Notes Ref. (MPA) Chicago alderperson San Diego City Attorney (PhD) Member of the Nevada Assembly 2003 (JD) Member of the Nevada Assembly Member of the New York State Assembly Mayor of Salt Lake City and member of the Utah House of Representatives Nassau County, New York, Executive Member of the Illinois Senate (MAE) Member of the Minnesota Senate 1993 Member of the Texas House of Representatives Prosecutor; member of the King County Council in Washington state 1982 (JD) Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives 2004 (JD) Member of the Montana House of Representatives and Montana Senate (MA) Member of the Iowa House of Representatives Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives (attended) Member of the Kansas House of Representatives 1989 Member of the Idaho Senate Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Member of the Montana House of Representatives Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party (MA) Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives 1974 Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota (MA) Member of the Vermont House of Representatives 1960 Chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage; broadcaster and publisher; member of the Alaska House of Representatives, 1983–1985; 1998 Alaska gubernatorial candidate Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives and professor of humanities at ASU and Texas State University (MA) Member of the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives Member of the Illinois Senate Rensselaer County, New York, Executive and member of the New York State Assembly (attended) Member of the Montana House of Representatives Mayor of North Las Vegas, Nevada Member of the Illinois House of Representatives 1978 Member of the Wyoming State Senate (JD) Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, 1999–2003 Mayor of Reno, Nevada (attended) 1984 Mayor of Maplewood, Minnesota Member of the Maine Senate Member of the Alaska Senate Chair of the Illinois Republican Party and Illinois Gaming Board Mayor of Caldwell, Idaho, and member of the Idaho House of Representatives Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
Tribal
+ Name Class year Notes Ref. Member of the Navajo Nation Council 2005 (JD) Attorney general of the Navajo Nation Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council President of the Navajo Nation, 1995–1998; member of the Arizona Legislature First governor of the Gila River Indian Community, 1954–1960 Colorado River Indian Tribes leader and first woman president of the National Congress of American Indians 2018 Member of the Navajo Nation Council (MSW) President of the Navajo Nation, 2003–2011 1963 President of the Navajo Nation, 1991–1995
International
+ Name Class year Notes Ref. Prime minister of New Zealand (attended) 1983 Chief representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization to Washington, D.C. 2004 (PhD) Governor of Nyeri County, Kenya 1969 Saudi politician and secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation 1988 Minister of the Economy of the United Arab Emirates Tanzanian diplomat and journalist 1982 Former chair of the Liberal Democratic Party of Turkey
Social activism