# Has any elected representative ever been elected in more than one country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955 "2011-01-25T19:51:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/1 "2011-01-25T19:51:56Z")
Currently, Gerry Adams is trying to extricate himself from the role of MP for West Belfast in Northern Ireland as he wants to stand for election as a TD (Irish MP) in Co. Louth in the Republic of Ireland. He stands a decent chance of being elected in the Republic. If he is elected would this be the first time that an official was elected (not appointed) to parliament/senate/etc. in two different countries? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/2 "2011-01-25T20:04:39Z")
I bet that some of the people the first couple of Israeli legislatures had been elected in other countries first. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/3 "2011-01-25T20:06:27Z")
Thomas Jefferson. Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (and therefore British) and later President of the United States. I think you’d find quite of few of these instances at the seams where land changes hands. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/4 "2011-01-25T20:06:38Z")
It’s unusual, but not unheard of. [Edward Harney](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Harney) was a member of the Australian Senate 1901-1903, and a member of the British House of Commons 1922-1929. [Robert Pilkington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pilkington) was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly 1917-1921, and the member for Keighley\* in the British House of Commons 1923-1924. - Bonus points if you know how to pronounce “Keighley”. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/5 "2011-01-25T20:07:46Z")
Easy. There’s a “Keith” in there. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/6 "2011-01-25T20:15:56Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Thomas Jefferson. Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (and therefore British) and later President of the United States. > > I think you’d find quite of few of these instances at the seams where land changes hands. Indeed. Sam Houston was President of the Republic of Texas, then US Senator and later governor of the state of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/7 "2011-01-25T20:20:23Z")
John Tyler was elected to the House of Representatives for both the USA and CSA. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/8 "2011-01-25T20:24:45Z")
I think cases where territory changes country during the political career of the person involved don’t count. So, Virginia and Texas becoming part of the US, and the CSA leaving the US, don’t really produce interesting cases. In Gerry Adams’ case, Ireland was once part of the United Kingdom, but long before Mr Adams was born, so there really are two different countries involved. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/9 "2011-01-25T20:27:14Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Thomas Jefferson. Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (and therefore British) and later President of the United States. > > I think you’d find quite of few of these instances at the seams where land changes hands. Oops, I meant to exclude such examples in my OP. Indeed there must be any number of former British MPs that became Irish TDs in the '20s. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/10 "2011-01-25T20:27:36Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Currently, Gerry Adams is trying to extricate himself from the role of MP for West Belfast in Northern Ireland This is an amusingly baroque process, with constitutional implications. Here’s a decent summary for those who don’t know: > **[Gerry Adams 'not allowed' to quit as MP](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/jan/25/gerry-adams-mp-parliament-rules)** > > Sinn Féin leader's resignation letter flouts formal Commons procedure. Party spokesman says: 'We couldn't give a toss' It seems that the easiest way for him to (constitutionally, not that he cares) resign is for him to actually turn up and try to take his seat! ---
**Author:** ![alsoknownas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@alsoknownas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alsoknownas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/11 "2011-01-25T20:35:50Z")
If he never bothers to go through the proper procedure to withdraw (likely), and they don’t find a way to remove his office before he stands in the south (unlikely), then you may see the even rarer spectacle of somebody officially appointed to two houses simultaneously. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/12 "2011-01-25T20:38:27Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > This is an amusingly baroque process, with constitutional implications. Here’s a decent summary for those who don’t know: > > [Gerry Adams 'not allowed' to quit as MP | Gerry Adams | The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jan/25/gerry-adams-mp-parliament-rules) From that “decent summary”: [QUOTE=A Sinn Féin spokesman in Belfast] "We couldn’t give a toss. … There’s no written constitution; they just make it up anyway. It’s strange men who parade around in tights. Republicans are not losing any sleep over this. [/QUOTE] You can tell that Sinn Féin have no love for the British! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/13 "2011-01-25T20:41:39Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > You can tell that Sinn Féin have no love for the British! Hence the amusement. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/14 "2011-01-25T21:04:54Z")
Thomas Chittenden was Governor of that feared geo-political power-house, The Republic of Vermont and then remained as Governor when the State joined the union. Though that’s another case where the territory was the same but the gov’t joined a larger entity. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/15 "2011-01-25T22:33:46Z")
> [@](#): > > In Gerry Adams’ case, Ireland was once part of the United Kingdom, but long before Mr Adams was born, so there really are two different countries involved. I suspect that, for most of the people involved in that case, it’s more relevant that Belfast was once part of the Irish nation, than it is that Ireland as a whole was once part of the UK. More to the point, there are a fair number of Irish who would consider Belfast to currently be properly part of the Republic of Ireland, but under foreign occupation. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/16 "2011-01-25T22:51:00Z")
Jefferson Davis was a member of the US Senate and House before he was president of the CSA. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/17 "2011-01-25T23:15:55Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Oops, I meant to exclude such examples in my OP. Indeed there must be any number of former British MPs that became Irish TDs in the '20s. And as an interesting footnote, one Éamon de Valera was at one point MP for South Down in the Northern Irish parliament.whilst simultaneously TD for Clare and head of the Executive (latterly Taoiseach) down South. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/18 "2011-01-25T23:32:47Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Thomas Jefferson. Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (and therefore British) and later President of the United States. > > I think you’d find quite of few of these instances at the seams where land changes hands. Gee, and people are making a fuss now about their current President having been born in _Kenya_??? Do they not know that Thomas Jefferson, beloved Founding Father and framer of the Constitution, served in the government of the _enemy_??? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/19 "2011-01-25T23:38:59Z")
George Washington served as an officer in the British Army. So did a lot of other American officers back then - prior to 1775. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955/20 "2011-01-26T17:50:28Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I bet that some of the people the first couple of Israeli legislatures had been elected in other countries first. I was very intrigued by this idea. Given that early Israel was a nation of immigrants, I figured that some of their early politicians had previously been politicians in their original countries. That would provide a sharp contrast to the many early Americans mentioned in this thread, who were politicians of a different government but in the same place. It turns out that the great majority of early Israeli politicians had been involved in specifically Zionist activities in their early lives, rather than being elected representatives of the general populace. One exception was [Yitzhak-Meir Levin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak-Meir_Levin), who was elected to the Warsaw Community Council in 1924, and then was a member of the Israeli Knesset from 1949 to 1971. Granted that the Warsaw Community Council was probably not of national importance, but hey, it was the best answer to the OP that I could find. … Ah! Here’s a better one: [Mordechai Nurock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Nurock) was a Member of Knesset from 1949 to 1962. In 1922 he was elected to the Latvian parliament, keeping his seat until 1934; he was even the leader of the minorities’ bloc for part of that time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-any-elected-representative-ever-been-elected-in-more-than-one-country/568955.md?page=2)