List of United States political families (V)

The following is an alphabetical list of political families in the United States whose last name begins with V.

The Vails

• George Vail (1809–1875), New Jersey Assemblyman 1843–44, candidate for U.S. Representative from New Jersey 1850, U.S. Representative from New Jersey 1853–57, U.S. Consul in Glasgow, Scotland 1858–61; Judge of the New Jersey Court of Appeals 1865–71. First cousin of Theodore Newton Vail.^[1]
  • Theodore Newton Vail (1845–1920), delegate to the Republican National Convention 1916. First cousin of George Vail.^[2]

The Vallones

• Charles J. Vallone (1901–1967), Queens County Civil Court Judge 1955–67, Father of Peter Vallone, Sr.
• Leah Palmigiano Vallone, Democratic State Committeewoman, mother of Peter Vallone Sr, wife of Charles J Vallone.
  • Peter Vallone, Sr. (born 1934), New York City Councilman 1974–2001, Speaker of the City Council 1986–2001, Candidate for New York State Governor 1998, Candidate for New York City Mayor 2001. Son of Charles J Vallone and Leah Vallone.
    • Peter Vallone, Jr. (born 1961) New York City Councilman 2002–13, Assistant to the Manhattan District Attorney 1996–2001, Candidate for Queens Borough President 2013, son of Peter Vallone, Sr, brother of Paul and Perry Vallone.
    • Paul Vallone (born 1967), New York City Councilman 2014-present, New York City Council Candidate in Democratic Primary 2009. Son of Peter Vallone, Sr, brother of Peter Vallone, Jr.

The Van Alens and Van Burens

• James I. Van Alen (1776–1870), Clerk of Kinderhook, New York 1797–1801; delegate to the New York Constitutional Convention 1801 1803; Justice of the Peace in New York 1801–04; New York Assemblyman 1804; U.S. Representative from New York 1807–09. Brother of Martin Van Buren.^[3]
• Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), New York State Senator 1813–20, Attorney General of New York 1816–19, delegate to the New York Constitutional Convention 1821, U.S. Senator from New York 1821–28, Governor of New York 1829, U.S. Secretary of States 1829–31, U.S. Minister to Great Britain 1831–32, Vice President of the United States 1833–37, President of the United States 1837–41, candidate for President of the United States 1848. Brother of James I. Van Alen.^[4]
  • John Van Buren (1810–1866), Attorney General of New York 1845–47, candidate for Attorney General of New York 1865. Son of Martin Van Buren.^[5]

NOTE: Marin Van Buren was also brother-in-law of New York State Senator Moses I. Cantine^[6] and great-uncle by marriage of Green Bay, Wisconsin Mayor Arthur C. Neville.^[7] Van Buren's son, Smith, married Henrietta Irving, niece of U.S. Minister Washington Irving.

The Van Dykes

• Nicholas Van Dyke (1738–1789), delegate to the Delaware Constitutional Convention 1776, Delaware Councilman, Judge of Admiralty in Delaware, Delegate to the Continental Congress from Delaware 1777–81, President of Delaware 1783–86. Father of Nicholas Van Dyke.^[8]
  • Nicholas Van Dyke (1770–1826), Delaware State Representative 1799, Attorney General of Delaware 1801–06, U.S. Representative from Delaware 1807–11, Delaware State Senator 1815–16, U.S. Senator from Delaware 1817–26. Son of Nicholas Van Dyke.^[9]

The Van Hollens

• Christopher Van Hollen (born 1922), U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka 1972–76, U.S. Ambassador to the Maldive Islands 1972–76. Father of Christopher Van Hollen, Jr.^[10]
  • Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. (born 1959), Maryland State Representative 1990–94, Maryland State Senator 1994–2002, U.S. Representative from Maryland 2003–present, delegate to the Democratic National Convention 2004. Son of Christopher Van Hollen.^[11]

The van Rensselaers

The van Rensselaers are a wealthy and politically active family centered around Albany, New York.

• Jeremiah van Rensselaer (1738–1810), a U.S. Representative during the first United States Congress.^[12]
  • Solomon van Rensselaer (1774–1852), a U.S. Representative, and lieutenant colonel during the War of 1812, son of Jeremiah.^[13]
• Killian van Rensselaer (1763–1845), a U.S. Representative, first cousin of Jeremiah^[14]
  • Stephen van Rensselaer III (1764–1839), a U.S. Representative, a general during the War of 1812, and founder of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, first cousin of Solomon.
  • Philip S. van Rensselaer (1767–1824), Mayor of Albany, New York 1799–1814 1819–21. Brother of Stephen van Rensselaer III.^[15]
    • Henry van Rensselaer (1810–1864), a U.S. Representative, and a Union Army general during the American Civil War, son of Stephen.^[16]

NOTE: Stephen van Rensselaer III was also son-in-law of U.S. Senator William Paterson^[17] and U.S. Senator Philip Schuyler.^[18] He and Philip S. van Renssealer were also half-brothers of U.S. Representative Rensselaer Westerlo and brother-in-law of New York Attorney General John Woodworth.

The Van Winkles

• Peter G. Van Winkle (1808–1872), delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention 1850, delegate to the West Virginia Constitutional Convention 1863, West Virginia House Delegate 1863, U.S. Senator from West Virginia 1863–69. Granduncle of Marshal Van Winkle.^[19]
  • Marshall Van Winkle (1869–1957), candidate for U.S. Representative from New Jersey 1900, U.S. Representative from New Jersey 1905–07. Grandnephew of Peter G. Van Winkle.^[20]

The Vances

• Robert Brank Vance (1793–1827), U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1823–25, candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1826. Uncle of Robert B. Vance and Zebulon Baird Vance.^[21]
  • Robert B. Vance (1828–1899), U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1873–85, North Carolina State Representative 1894–96. Nephew of Robert Brank Vance.^[22]
  • Zebulon Baird Vance (1830–1894), Prosecuting Attorney of Buncombe County, North Carolina 1852; member of the North Carolina House of Commons 1854; candidate for North Carolina State Senate 1856; candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1856; U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1858–61; Governor of North Carolina 1862–65 1877–79; candidate for U.S. Senate from North Carolina 1872; U.S. Senator from North Carolina 1879–94. Nephew of Robert Brank Vance.^[23]

The Vares

• George H. Vare (1859–1908), Pennsylvania State Senator 1897–1908. Brother of Edwin H. Vare and William Scott Vare.^[24]
• Edwin H. Vare (1862–1922), Pennsylvania State Senator 1909–22. Brother of George H. Vare and William Scott Vare.^[25]
• William Scott Vare (1867–1934), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Councilman 1898–1901; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds 1902–12; delegate to the Republican National Convention 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928; candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1911; Pennsylvania State Senator 1912 1922–23; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 1912–23 1923–27; U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania 1927–29. Brother of George H. Vare and Edwin H. Vare.^[26]

The Varnums

• James Mitchell Varnum (1748–1789), Delegate to the Continental Congress from Rhode Island 1780–81 1787. Brother of Joseph Bradley Varnum.^[27]
• Joseph Bradley Varnum (1751–1821), U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 1795–1811, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 1807–09 1809–11, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts 1811–17. Brother of James Mitchell Varnum.^[28]

The Vauxs

• Roberts Vaux (1786–1836), Judge of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. Father of Richard Vaux.
  • Richard Vaux (1816–1895), Pennsylvania State Representative 1839, delegate to the Pennsylvania Democratic Convention 1840, candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1842 1845 1854; Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1856–58; member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Board of Trusts 1859–66; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 1890–91. Son of Roberts Vaux.

The Venables

• Abraham B. Venable (1758–1811), U.S. Representative from Virginia 1791–99, U.S. Senator from Virginia 1803–04. Uncle of Abraham Watkins Venable.^[29]
  • Abraham Watkins Venable (1799–1876), U.S. Representative from North Carolina 1847–53, Confederate States Provisional Representative from North Carolina 1861, Confederate States Representative from North Carolina 1962–1864. Nephew of Abraham B. Venable.^[30]

The Venemans

• John Veneman (1925–1982), California Assemblyman, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California 1974. Father of Ann Veneman.
  • Ann Veneman (born 1949), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 2001–05. Daughter of John Veneman.^[31]

The Verplancks

• Daniel C. Verplanck (1762–1834), U.S. Representative from New York 1803–09, Judge of Dutchess County, New York Court of Common Pleas 1828–30. Father of Gulian Crommelin Verplanck.^[32]
  • Gulian Crommelin Verplanck (1786–1870), New York Assemblyman 1820–23, U.S. Representative from New York 1825–33, candidate for Mayor of New York City 1834, New York State Senator 1838–41, delegate to the New York Constitutional Convention 1867 1868. Son of Daniel C. Verplanck.^[33]

The Vilases

• Levi Baker Vilas (1811–1879), Wisconsin Assemblyman 1855 1868 1873, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin 1861–62. Father of William Freeman Vilas.^[34]
  • William Freeman Vilas (1840–1908), Postmaster General of the United States 1885–88, U.S. Secretary of the Interior 1888–89, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin 1891–97. Son of Levi Baker Vilas.^[35]
• Joseph Vilas (1832-1905), Wisconsin State Senator 1863-1864; Mayor of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Cousin of William Freeman.^[36]

The Vinings

• John Vining, Delaware Colony Assemblyman, Chief Justice of the Delaware Colony Supreme Court. Father of John M. Vining.
  • John M. Vining (1758–1802), Delegate to the Continental Congress from Delaware 1784–86, Delaware Assemblyman 1787–89, U.S. Representative from Delaware 1789–93, U.S. Senator from Delaware 1793–98. Son of John Vining.

The Vinsons

• Colonel William Vinson (c. 1819 – 1883), member of the Virginia House of Delegates 1853–54. Brother of Samuel Sperry Vinson.^[37]
  • Richard F. Vinson (1838–1910), Lawrence County Judge in Kentucky, County Clerk 1858–72, Clerk of the Circuit Court 1858–72. Son of William Vinson.^[38]
    • Arnoldus J. Garred (1856–1926), Master Commissioner and Receiver for Lawrence County, Kentucky, Circuit Court Clerk, Deputy County Clerk. Son-in-law of Richard F. Vinson.^[38]
  • Z. C. Vinson (1846–1918), Kentucky State Representative 1883–85. Son of William Vinson.^[39]
    • John B. Vinson (born 1866), Boyd County Attorney in Kentucky, Catlettsburg City Attorney. Son of Z. C. Vinson.^[39]
• Samuel Sperry Vinson (1833–1904), Presidential Elector for West Virginia 1892, appointed U.S. Marshal of West Virginia by President Grover Cleveland. Brother of William Vinson.^[40]
  • Mary Vinson Clark (1878–1957), Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia 1948, 1952; Presidential Elector for West Virginia 1948. Daughter of Samuel Sperry Vinson.^[41]
  • James A. Hughes (1861–1930), U.S. Representative from West Virginia 1900–14 and 1926–30, West Virginia State Senator 1894–98, Kentucky State Representative 1888–90, Delegate to every Republican National Convention 1892–1924. Son-in-law of Samuel Sperry Vinson.^[42][43]
    • Frederick Moore Vinson (1890–1953), Chief Justice of the United States 1946–53, United States Secretary of the Treasury 1945–46, U.S. Representative from Kentucky 1924–29 and 1931–38. Grandnephew of William Vinson and Samuel Sperry Vinson.
    • Roberta Dixon Vinson (1898–1983), Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky 1944. Wife of Frederick Moore Vinson.^[44]

The Voorheeses

• Daniel W. Voorhees (1827–1897), candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 1856, U.S. District Attorney of Indiana 1858–61, U.S. Representative from Indiana 1861–66 1869–73, U.S. Senator from Indiana 1877–97. Father of Charles S. Voorhees.^[45]
  • Charles S. Voorhees (1853–1909), Prosecuting Attorney of Whitman County, Washington 1882–85; U.S. Congressional Delegate from Washington Territory 1885–89. Son of Daniel W. Voorhees.^[46]

References