List of assassinated American politicians

This is a list of assassinated American politicians. Individuals listed were either elected or appointed to office, or were candidates for elected office.

Politician Portrait Party Year assassinated Office held when assassinated Site of assassination Method of assassination Name of assassin Suspected motive Ref
Charles C. P. Arndt Whig 1842 Wisconsin Territorial Legislator Madison, Wisconsin (in the Old Wisconsin State Capitol) gunshot James Russell Vineyard Killed during an argument over a political appointment. [1]
Charles Bent 1847 Governor of New Mexico Territory Taos, New Mexico (in his home) arrows and scalping Tomás Romero; Pablo Montoya Targeted during Taos Revolt, a popular uprising against newly asserted US authority over region. [2]
Derwin Brown Democratic 2000 Sheriff-elect of DeKalb County, Georgia Decatur, Georgia (in his home) gunshot Patrick Cuff (a DeKalb County sheriff's deputy) Contract killing ordered by DeKalb County Sheriff Sidney Dorsey, who was defeated by Brown [3]
Vickie Bunnell 1997 Colebrook, New Hampshire District Judge Colebrook, New Hampshire (outside her office) gunshot Carl Drega Targeted by assailant due to finding him guilty of code violations [4]
Tommy Burks Democratic 1998 Tennessee State Senator Cumberland County, Tennessee (in his home) gunshot Byron Looper (the incumbent Putnam County Assessor) Killed by his political opponent in 1998 State Senate race [5]
Louis Cardis Democrat 1877 Texas State Representative El Paso, Texas gunshot Charles Howard Killed as part of the San Elizario Salt War, a dispute over salt mining claims rooted in divisions between white and Hispanic settlers [6]
Anton Cermak Democratic 1933 Mayor of Chicago Miami, Florida (while riding in a vehicle) gunshot to lung Giuseppe Zangara Disputed; suspected of striking Cermak instead of intended target President-elect Franklin Roosevelt [7]
José Francisco Chaves Republican 1904 New Mexico Superintendent of Public Instruction Pinoswells, New Mexico gunshots (through the window of his home) unknown assailant unknown [8]
John M. Clayton Republican 1889 Congressman-elect from Arkansas Plumerville, Arkansas gunshots (through the window of his home) unknown assailant Unknown, but killed in the context of a disputed election [9]
Peter Crosby Republican 1875 Sheriff-elect from Mississippi Vicksburg, Mississippi gunshot (through the head) eventually died from wound J.P. Gilmer (former Alabama Confederate Soldier, arrested but avoided trial) Former confederate soldier J.P. Gilmer served as a terrorist to remove Sheriff Crosby from office [10]
Richard J. Daronco 1988 Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York Pelham, New York (in his home) gunshot Charles Koster Assailant was the father of a plaintiff whose harassment suit was dismissed by Daronco. [11]
James E. Davis Democratic 2003 New York City Councilman New York City, New York (at City Hall) gunshots Othniel Askew Killed by prospective challenger for 2003 Council special election [12]
Henry Denhardt Democratic 1937 Lieutenant Governor (former) of Kentucky Shelbyville, Kentucky (outside the Armstrong Hotel) gunshots E.S. Garr; Roy Garr Killed by brothers of his late fiancée whom he was charged with murdering [13]
Louis F. Edwards Democratic 1939 Mayor, Long Beach, New York Long Beach, New York (outside his home) gunshot Alvin Dooley Edwards' political influence thwarted Dooley's re-election to post in a union [14]
John Milton Elliott Democrat 1879 Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Frankfort, Kentucky (after a conversation on a public street) gunshots Thomas Buford (an incumbent Henry County District Judge) Assailant was brother of a plaintiff who lost a farm after Elliott dismissed motion for stay of foreclosure [15]
James A. Garfield Republican 1881 President of the United States Washington, D.C. (at railway station) gunshot to spine (death took three months) Charles J. Guiteau Targeted after being rejected by Republican officials for a patronage appointment [16]
William Goebel Democratic 1900 Governor of Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky (outside Old State Capitol) gunshot to the chest Unknown political opponents Uncertain, but killed in the context of a disputed, fraudulent election [17]
Bill Gwatney Democratic 2008 Chairman of Arkansas Democratic Party Little Rock, Arkansas (at his office at party headquarters) gunshots Tim Johnson Timothy Dale Johnson; assailant was reported to have quit his job and become reclusive in days leading up to incident [18]
Cornelius S. Hamilton Republican 1867 Congressman from Ohio's 8th district Marysville, Ohio bludgeoned to death Thomas Hamilton Insanity [19][20]
Carter Harrison, Sr. Democratic 1893 Mayor of Chicago Chicago, Illinois (in his home) gunshot Patrick Eugene Prendergast Killed after assailant was rejected for appointment to a patronage position. [21]
Mark Hasse Republican 2013 Assistant District Attorney for Kaufman County, Texas Kaufman, Texas (outside the County Courthouse) gunshot Eric Williams Killed by former justice of the peace who was convicted of burglary while in office [22]
Thomas Haughey Republican 1869 Congressman from Alabama Courtland, Alabama (at a political rally) gunshot Collins (first name unknown) Assailant was a supporter of the target's rival for the Republican nomination for the Congressional race; both men exchanged verbal insults and engaged in fisticuffs before a weapon was brandished [23]
Thomas C. Hindman Democratic 1868 Congressman (former) from Arkansas Helena, Arkansas (at his home) gunshots through window Unknown assailants Unknown; multiple theories proposed. [24]
James M. Hinds Republican 1868 Congressman from Arkansas Monroe County, Arkansas (while on horseback) gunshot George Clark Killed by a Ku Klux Klan member as part of intimidation of Republican carpetbaggers [25]
Edward Dexter Holbrook Democratic 1870 Delegate (former) to the United States House of Representatives from Idaho Territory Idaho City, Idaho (outside the County Courthouse) gunshot Charles Douglas Killed by the brother-in-law of James Crutcher, as a result of a dispute between Holbrook and Crutcher for control of the Boise County Democratic Party [26]
Elisha G. Johnson Republican 1875 Florida State Senator Near Lake City, Florida or Fernandina, Florida gunshot Unknown Break 12–12 tie in Florida Senate. Murder of Elisha G. Johnson
Leon Jordan Democratic 1970 Missouri State Representative Kansas City, Missouri (outside a restaurant) gunshots Unknown Unknown, alleged to have been an organized crime contract killing [27]
John F. Kennedy Democratic 1963 President of the United States Dallas, Texas (while motorcading) gunshots from sniper Lee Harvey Oswald Disputed [28]
Robert F. Kennedy Democratic 1968 United States Senator from New York and candidate for Democratic presidential nomination Los Angeles, California (at the Ambassador Hotel) gunshot Sirhan Sirhan Targeted as a symbol of Western support for Israel in the Arab–Israeli conflict [29]
Edward M. "Edd" King 1986 Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa Mount Pleasant, Iowa gunshot Ralph Davis Killed during city council meeting; assailant had been in dispute with municipality over clogged sewer line [30][31]
George LeBreton 1844 Oregon Secretary of State Oregon City, Oregon (in his office) gunshots Cockstock Killed by a native as part of indigenous resistance to white settlement in the area [32]
Abraham Lincoln Republican 1865 President of the United States Washington, DC. (Ford's Theatre) gunshot John Wilkes Booth, a renowned stage actor Assailant was a Confederate sympathizer [33]
Russell G. Lloyd, Sr. Republican 1980 Mayor (former) of Evansville, Indiana Evansville, Indiana gunshot Julia van Orden Assailant suffered from mental illness and believed that she was being harassed by the city; apparently targeted Lloyd under mistaken belief that he was incumbent mayor [34]
Huey Long Democratic 1935 United States Senator and presidential candidate from Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana (inside the State Capitol) gunshots Carl Weiss Uncertain, but Weiss was affiliated with a political family that opposed Long's machine [35]
Allard K. Lowenstein Democratic 1980 Congressman (former) from New York New York City (in his office) gunshots Dennis Sweeney Assailant had a history of mental illness and believed that Lowenstein had been plotting against him since their acquaintance at Stanford University [36]
Edwin Stanton McCook Republican 1873 Governor of Dakota Territory Yankton, Dakota Territory (at a saloon which was being used for a public meeting) gunshot Peter Wintermute Target and assailant had initially engaged in a fistfight over issue of financing the Dakota Southern Railroad; assailant returned with pistol feeling publicly humiliated by loss in this fight [37]
William McKinley Republican 1901 President of the United States Buffalo, New York (at Pan-American Exposition) gunshot Leon Czolgosz Assailant was aligned with anarchist movement and killed target as symbol of American inequality [38]
Mike McLelland Republican 2013 District Attorney for Kaufman County, Texas Forney, Texas (in his home) gunshot Eric Williams Killed by former justice of the peace who was convicted of burglary while in office [22]
Harvey Milk Democratic 1978 San Francisco City Supervisor San Francisco, California (in his City Hall office) gunshots Dan White, outgoing San Francisco City Supervisor Assailant had recently resigned from office due to financial difficulties; he soon changed his mind and sought reappointment; Moscone denied this request upon the advice of Milk [39]
George Moscone Democratic 1978 Mayor of San Francisco San Francisco, California (in his City Hall office) gunshots [39]
Albert Patterson Democratic 1954 Alabama Attorney General-elect Phenix City, Alabama (walking to his vehicle) gunshots Unknown Target had been elected on promise to crack down on organized crime in the state, which was strongly rooted in Phenix City [40]
John M. Pinckney Democratic 1905 Congressman from Texas Hempstead, Texas gunshots Unknown Killed during riot instigated by opponents of alcohol prohibition [41]
David Ramsay 1815 South Carolina State Senator and former Continental Congressman Charleston, South Carolina gunshots William Linnen Assailant retaliated after target had deemed him insane during criminal court inquiry [42]
George Lincoln Rockwell American Nazi Party 1967 Virginia gubernatorial candidate Arlington, Virginia gunshots John Patler Assailant was angered by Rockwell expelling him from the American Nazi Party [43]
John Roll 2011 Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona Tucson, Arizona gunshots Jared Lee Loughner Apparently caught in crossfire as assailant sought to assassinate Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords; assailant opposed government authority [44]
Tomás Romero 1848 Alcalde of Taos Pueblo Taos, New Mexico (while imprisoned) gunshots John Fitzgerald Killed following capture for inciting Taos Revolt; assailant retaliating for his brother's death in this uprising [2]
Leo Ryan Democratic 1978 Congressman from California Port Kaituma, Guyana (on airport tarmac) gunshots Unknown members of the People's Temple Ambushed while investigating allegations of human rights abuses at the Jonestown compound [45]
John P. Slough Democratic 1867 Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court Santa Fe, New Mexico (at his office) gunshot William Ryerson (an incumbent Territorial Legislator) Killed after a public dispute in which each accused the other of corruption [46]
Solomon P. Sharp Democratic-Republican 1825 Kentucky Attorney General, Kentucky State Senator-elect Home in Frankfort, Kentucky stabbed (at his home) Jereboam O. Beauchamp Killed over a long-standing dispute that was based partially on political differences and partially on Sharp fathering a child with the woman whom Beauchamp later married [47]
Joseph Smith 1844 Mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, candidate for U.S. President Carthage, Illinois (while imprisoned) Shot The Carthage Greys Founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or Mormon faith; June 27, 1844, an anti-Mormon mob murdered Joseph and his brother Hyrum while they were being held in a Carthage jail. Growing political power was a threat. [48]

[49]

John W. Stephens Republican 1870 North Carolina State Senator Yanceyville, North Carolina (in the County Courthouse) gunshots Unknown, mobbed by estimated 8 to 12 men Killed by Ku Klux Klan member as part of intimidation of Republicans [50]
Frank Steunenberg Democratic 1905 Governor (former) of Idaho Caldwell, Idaho (outside his home) bomb (set at front gate of his home) Harry Orchard; possibly others Killed by a mining company informant in an attempt to cast blame on a labor union [51]
James Strang Democratic 1856 Michigan State Representative Beaver Island, Michigan (at a steamship terminal) gunshot Thomas Bedford Killed by a disgruntled former member of the Mormon sect led by Strang [52]
Mike Swoboda 2008 Mayor of Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood, Missouri (during a city council meeting) gunshot (died seven months later from complications)

[53]

 Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton Assailant retaliated for fines levied by municipality for code violations [54]
John Thornton 2010 Mayor of Washington Park, IL Washington Park, Illinois (in his vehicle) gunshot Aaron Jackson Unknown; assailant was allegedly a passenger in target's car [55]

[56]

Robert Smith Vance 1989 Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Mountain Brook, Alabama (in his home) mail bomb Walter Leroy Moody, Jr. Killed after court refused to expunge a previous conviction from assailant's record for explosives possession [57]
Samuel Newitt Wood Republican 1891 Kansas Territorial Legislator, Kansas State Senator Hugoton, Kansas (outside County Courthouse) gunshots James Brennan Killed during series of armed conflicts in which residents of the two largest towns of Stevens County, Kansas fought for county seat status [58]
John H. Wood, Jr. 1979 Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas San Antonio, Texas (outside his home) gunshot Charles Harrelson Contract killing ordered by Jamiel Chagra due to target's harsh convictions of Latin American drug kingpins [59]

See also

References
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