9 Congress members who are successful business owners

Although they may be best known for their contributions to legislative matters, a  number of prominent politicians of the House of Representatives and United States Senate started their careers as small business owners. Some even retain involvement in those businesses. Here is a list of nine current and former members of Congress and the businesses that helped them find financial success.

Darrell Issa – California

Darrell Issa is a United States Representative from California who has served from 2001 to 2019 and since 2021. While as a young man he was charged (never convicted) with two counts of car theft, Issa turned a $7,000 investment into a well-known car protection brand, Steal Stoppers. This helped him transform his electronics business into DEI, the company behind the popular Viper car alarm. The once-California governor hopeful sold the business in 2000, the same year he made a successful run for Congress with $2 million of his own dollars. His net worth, primarily thanks to proceeds from the sale of his business, is over $283 million.

John Delaney – Maryland

John Delaney served three terms in Congress from 2013 to 2019 as a U.S. Representative for the state of Maryland. Delaney made his money as founder and CEO of CapitalSource, which he sold in 2014 for over $68 million. He stepped down from daily work at the company when running for office in 2012. Prior to CapitalSource, Delaney founded HealthCare Financial Partners, which provided financing to small and mid-sized companies in the healthcare service industry.

Today, Delaney serves as CEO of Forbright Bank, a mid-sized full service bank with over $7 billion in assets.

Jared Polis – Colorado

Colorado’s Jared Polis served Colorado’s congressional district from 2009 to 2019 and, as of 2019 has served as Colorado’s governor. Polis is a serial entrepreneur worth over $300 million. He founded and later sold his first company, an internet service provider, while he was still in college. The tech boom of the 1990s helped fuel his rapid series of successful startups and sales, notably from BlueMountain.com, an online greeting card site, and then ProFlowers, later named Provide Commerce. Polis also founded and sat at the helm of a chain of movie theaters targeting the Spanish speaking community. 

Dave Trott – Michigan

Dave Trott, who served as a U.S. Representative for Michigan from 2015 to 2019, built a significant real estate and legal services enterprise. He scaled his family’s small law firm into a large-scale foreclosure processing firm that played a major role in the housing market during the Great Recession. By managing foreclosure processes for major banks and lenders, the firm established a strong market presence. Under Trott’s leadership, the company further diversified its services to include legal notifications, title searches, and the resale of repossessed properties, contributing to his estimated net worth of over $100 million.

Vern Buchanan – Florida

Representative Vern Buchanan has held a position in Congress for 20 years, retiring in 2026. His retirement will likely be comfortable as he is worth over $200 million. He started a printing company with a business partner that grew to a franchise with over 700 locations. After selling his stake, he went on to acquire car dealerships in Southwest Florida, but eventually sold many of them to concentrate on politics.

Mark Pocan – Wisconsin

The son of two small business owners, Representative Pocan opened a small printing shop in Madison, Wis. when he was just 23 years old, that he still owns and runs today. Pocan has served in Congress since 2013 and has often been quoted as saying that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy.

James Renacci – Ohio

Former Representative Renacci, who served from 2011-2019, made his money as a self-made accountant and consultant. The CPA started his career in Pittsburgh doing accounting and consulting work for the nursing home industry. After moving to Ohio, he founded a business that included investments in nursing homes. He has held financial interests across several industries including long-term care businesses, real estate, and a stake in Harley Davidson. Thanks to his successful management of his own business and other investments, Renacci has an estimated net worth over $80 million.

Roger Williams – Texas

Roger Williams served as Secretary of State for Texas before moving into the House of Representatives, where he has served since 2012, but, like most on this list, he didn’t make his fortune as a public servant. Williams’ holdings include several car dealerships and a cow-calf operation (a type of cattle ranching) in his home state. Since 2023 he has served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business.

Cynthia Lummis – Wyoming

Senator Lummis, who served in the House from 2009 to 2017 and has served in the Senate since 2021, is notably the first member of the Senate to buy cryptocurrency while holding office, disclosing that she bought crypto in 2021 while in office, adding to her existing holdings in cryptocurrency. She likely was able to make the purchase with her income from her various business ventures, including a stake in her family’s cattle business and a real estate management company.

The bottom line

These representatives come from a wide range of fields, including automotive, technology, real estate, financial services, printing, and agriculture, demonstrating that their diverse professional backgrounds often inform their legislative perspectives.