United States president
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
s typically fill their
Cabinets and other appointive positions with people from their own
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
. The first Cabinet formed by the first president,
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
, included some of Washington's political opponents, but later presidents adopted the practice of filling their Cabinets with members of the president's party.
[Mr. Wilson's Cabinet; Will Be Sagacious Men, But Not Political Experts]
''The New York Times'', November 7, 1912
Appointments across party lines are uncommon. Presidents may appoint members of a different party to high-level positions in order to reduce partisanship or improve cooperation between the political parties.
[William S. Cohen]
''Washington Post'', December 17, 2000 Also presidents often appoint members of a different party because they need
Senate confirmation for many of these positions, and at the time of appointment the Senate was controlled by the opposition party of the president.
Many of the cross-partisan nominees are often moderates within their own parties.
This is a list of people appointed to high-level positions in the
United States federal government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fe ...
by a
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
whose political party affiliation was different from that of the appointee. The list includes executive branch appointees and independent agency appointees. Independent or nonpartisan appointees, nominally apolitical appointments (such as
Article III judges
Federal tribunals in the United States are those tribunals established by the federal government of the United States for the purpose of resolving disputes involving or arising under federal laws, including questions about the constitutionality ...
and military officers), and members of explicitly bipartisan commissions are not included. A
third party member has never been appointed.
List of appointees
‡ Person was an appointee of the previous administration and was reappointed or retained by the President.
Other notable appointments that crossed party lines
* President
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
, a
Democratic-Republican, appointed
William Cranch, a
Federalist, as Chief Judge of the
United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
The United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia (in case citations, C.C.D.C.) was a United States federal court which existed from 1801 to 1863. The court was created by the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801.
History
The D.C. ci ...
.
* President Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, asked
Charles Lee, a Federalist, to be appointed
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...
, a Democratic-Republican, appointed
Joseph Hopkinson, a
Federalist, as a
U.S. federal judge
In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...
on the
.
* President
Franklin Pierce, a
Democrat, appointed
Isaac Blackford, a
Whig, as a judge on the
United States Court of Claims.
* President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, appointed
Stephen Field, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, appointed
Samuel Blatchford, a Republican, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, appointed
Daniel Clark, a Republican, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
* President
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...
, a Republican, appointed
David M. Key, a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Courts for the Eastern and
Middle Districts of Tennessee.
* President
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...
, a Republican, appointed
Howell Edmunds Jackson, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
, a Republican, appointed
Horace Harmon Lurton, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President William Howard Taft, a Republican, appointed
Edward Douglass White
Edward Douglass White Jr. (November 3, 1844 – May 19, 1921) was an American politician and jurist from Louisiana. White was a U.S. Supreme Court justice for 27 years, first as an associate justice from 1894 to 1910, then as the ninth chief ...
, a Democrat, as
Chief Justice of the United States.
* President William Howard Taft, a Republican, appointed
Joseph Rucker Lamar, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
Warren G. Harding, a Republican, appointed
Pierce Butler Pierce or Piers Butler may refer to:
*Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond (c. 1467 – 26 August 1539), Anglo-Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland
*Piers Butler, 3rd Viscount Galmoye (1652–1740), Anglo-Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland
* P ...
, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
Calvin Coolidge, a Republican, appointed
John Ellis Martineau, a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
* President
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, a Republican, appointed
Benjamin N. Cardozo, a prominent Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President Herbert Hoover, a Republican, appointed
Eugene Black, a Democrat, as a member of the
U.S. Board of Tax Appeals.
* President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, a Democrat, appointed
Harlan F. Stone, a Republican, as
Chief Justice of the United States.
* President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, appointed
Robert P. Patterson
Robert Porter Patterson Sr. (February 12, 1891 – January 22, 1952) was an American judge who served as United States Under Secretary of War, Under Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and US Secretary of War, U.S. Secretary of ...
, a Republican, as
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
* President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, appointed
William Clark
William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...
, a Republican, as
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
* President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, appointed
Duncan Lawrence Groner, a Republican, as
Chief Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
* President
Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, appointed U.S. Senator
Harold Hitz Burton
Harold Hitz Burton (June 22, 1888 – October 28, 1964) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 45th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Sta ...
, a Republican, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, appointed
Ernest W. Gibson Jr., a Republican, as a
U.S. federal judge
In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...
on the
United States District Court for the District of Vermont
The United States District Court for the District of Vermont (in case citations, D. Vt.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction is the federal district of Vermont. The court has locations in Brattleboro, ...
.
* President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, a Republican, appointed
William J. Brennan Jr., a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, appointed
J. Joseph Smith, a Democrat, as a judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate ju ...
.
* President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, appointed
Clement Haynsworth, a Democrat, as a judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryland ...
.
* President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
, a Democrat, appointed
Harold R. Tyler Jr., a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, a Republican, appointed
Donald S. Russell, a former U.S. senator and Democrat, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryland ...
.
* President Richard Nixon, a Republican, appointed
Walter R. Mansfield, a Democrat, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate ju ...
.
* President Richard Nixon, a Republican, appointed
Charles Clark, a Democrat, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* Eastern District of Louisiana
* M ...
.
* President Richard Nixon, a Republican, nominated
Clement Haynsworth, a Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President Richard Nixon, a Republican, appointed
Lewis F. Powell Jr., a lifelong Democrat, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
* President
Gerald Ford, a Republican, appointed
Terry Shell, a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Courts for the Eastern and
Western Districts of Arkansas.
* President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
, a Democrat, appointed
Frank Minis Johnson, a Republican, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* Eastern District of Louisiana
* M ...
.
* President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, appointed
Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy, a Republican, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* Eastern District of Kentucky
* Western District of ...
.
* President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, appointed
Otto Richard Skopil Jr., a Republican, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
.
* President
Ronald Reagan, a Republican, appointed
U.S. Representative Sam B. Hall Jr., a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
* President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, appointed
Kimba Wood, a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President
George H. W. Bush, a Republican, appointed
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...
, a Democrat, as
Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, a Democrat, appointed
Maryanne Trump Barry, a Republican, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:
* District of Delaware
* District of New Jersey
* East ...
.
* President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed
Richard C. Tallman, a Republican, as judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
.
* President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed
Yvette Kane
Yvette Kane (born October 11, 1953) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Early life and education
Kane was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. After graduating hi ...
, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
* President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed
Richard Barclay Surrick, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the
.
* President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, nominated
Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, a Republican, as
Secretary of Defense.
* President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, nominated
Governor of Massachusetts
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces.
Massachuset ...
William Weld, a Republican, as
United States ambassador to Mexico
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett bec ...
.
* President
George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed
Philip Ray Martinez, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Philip Martinez
Votesmart.org
* President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed C. Darnell Jones II, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed Legrome D. Davis, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed Timothy J. Savage, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed David S. Cercone, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed Freda L. Wolfson, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
* President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
, a Democrat, nominated U.S. Senator Judd Gregg
Judd Alan Gregg (born February 14, 1947) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 76th governor of New Hampshire from 1989 to 1993 and was a United States senator from New Hampshire; in the Senate, Gregg served as chairman of the S ...
, a Republican, as United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Matthew W. Brann, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Gregory N. Stivers, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Thomas M. Durkin, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed John Robert Blakey, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Jeffrey L. Schmehl, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Edward G. Smith, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Jerry Pappert, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge
In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...
on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (in case citations, S.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over forty-seven of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (except for patent claims a ...
.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed John Tharp, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed David Barlow, a Republican, as United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...
for the United States District Court for the District of Utah
The United States District Court for the District of Utah (in case citations, D. Utah) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Utah. The court is based in Salt Lake City with another courtroom leased in thstate courth ...
.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated William F. Jung, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Karen Gren Scholer, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (in case citations, E.D. Tex.) is a federal court in the Fifth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to ...
.
* President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Marilyn Horan, a Republican, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, a Republican, nominated Nellie Liang
Jean Nellie Liang (born 1958) is an economist who currently serves as President Joe Biden's Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance.
Education
Liang graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in economics in 1979. ...
, a Democrat, to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as the Federal Reserve Board, is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the m ...
.
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Susan Paradise Baxter, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Robert J. Colville, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed John Milton Younge
John Milton Younge (born July 19, 1955) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Biography
Younge received his Bachelor of Science in 1977 fro ...
, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Lewis J. Liman, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Mary S. McElroy, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (in case citations, D.R.I.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified th ...
.
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Maryellen Noreika, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
The United States District Court for the District of Delaware (in case citations, D. Del.) is the Federal district court having jurisdiction over the entire state of Delaware. The Court sits in Wilmington. Currently, four district judges and ...
.
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, appointed Stephanie D. Davis, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the .
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated Hector Gonzalez, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
* President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated Jennifer H. Rearden, a Democrat, as a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
* President Joe Biden, a Democrat, appointed Kim Wyman
Kimberley Marie Wyman (born July 15, 1962) is an American politician who served as the 15th Secretary of State of Washington from 2013 to 2021. Wyman resigned as Secretary of State on November 19, 2021, to work on election security at the Cyberse ...
, a Republican, to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for strengthening cybersecurity and infrastructure protection across all levels of government, ...
.
Notes
References
Key
{{DEFAULTSORT:Appointments that crossed party lines
Lists of American politicians
Political office-holders in the United States