Politics can feel messy, loud, and confusing. But sometimes, behind all that, there are stories that remind us why people go into public service in the first place. Stories of grit, bad luck turned into something good, or just plain stubbornness. This isn’t about agreeing or disagreeing with their politics—it’s about the human stuff.
These are a few stories of American politicians who got knocked down, got back up, and made a difference. Not perfect people, not superheroes—just folks who tried.
Joe Biden – Grief, Loss, and Getting Back Up
Say what you will about Joe Biden’s political career, but his life story is one of survival.
In 1972, just weeks after being elected to the U.S. Senate, his wife, Neilia, and their baby daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, were badly injured. Biden thought about quitting politics completely—who wouldn’t?
But he didn’t. He was sworn in at his sons’ hospital bedside and took the train back and forth from Delaware to D.C. every day so he could be home with them at night.
Years later, in 2015, Biden lost Beau, his oldest son, to brain cancer. It nearly broke him again. And yet, he came back to public life. Whatever anyone thinks of his politics, the guy has taken a beating from life and kept showing up.
Tammy Duckworth – Shot Down in Combat, Then Ran for Office
Tammy Duckworth was flying a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq when a rocket-propelled grenade hit it. She lost both of her legs and nearly died.
When she woke up, she was angry — but not in the way you’d expect. She was frustrated that she couldn’t serve with her unit anymore. She wanted to get back in the cockpit.
Instead, she fought a different kind of battle. She worked with veterans’ groups, ran for Congress, and later became a U.S. Senator. She was the first Thai American woman elected to Congress and the first Senator to give birth while in office.
Also worth noting: she once called out a fellow lawmaker for not knowing what it was like to “actually sacrifice for this country.” She didn’t say it with hate, just with truth.
John McCain – POW to Presidential Candidate
John McCain’s story is well known, but it still hits hard when you read it. During the Vietnam War, he was shot down and taken prisoner. He was tortured. His captors found out he was the son of a high-ranking Navy admiral and offered to let him go early. He said no, not unless his fellow prisoners were released too. He stayed five and a half years.
When he came home, he couldn’t lift his arms above his head. But he went on to serve in Congress, then the Senate. He ran for president twice and became known for speaking his mind, even when it hurt him politically.
Whether people loved him or hated him, most agreed: McCain was tough. The old-school kind of tough.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – From Bartender to the Capitol
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, was working at a bar in New York just a few years before she became one of the most talked-about politicians in the country.
She wasn’t rich. She didn’t come from a family of politicians. She waited tables and knocked on doors. People laughed at her campaign — until she beat a powerful, well-funded incumbent who’d been in office for decades.
Now, she’s known for challenging the status quo and speaking up for people who often feel like politics doesn’t hear them. You don’t have to agree with everything she says to see the spark behind it.
She once said, “They’ll tell you you’re too loud, that you need to wait your turn and ask the right people for permission. Do it anyway.”
Barack Obama – Change Came Slowly, But It Came
You can’t talk about modern political inspiration without mentioning Barack Obama. Whether you supported him or not, his story connected with a lot of people.
Raised by a single mom, he worked his way through school, became a community organizer, then a senator, and finally, President of the United States. The first Black president in American history.
His road there wasn’t smooth. Early in his political career, he lost races, got called inexperienced, and faced doubts from inside his own party. But he kept going.
His speeches—especially the 2004 DNC speech—gave people chills. But it was more than speeches. He carried a calm kind of leadership during some pretty chaotic times.
Liz Cheney – Standing Her Ground
Liz Cheney didn’t take the easy road. A Republican from Wyoming, she voted to impeach a president from her own party. She knew it would hurt her politically. It did.
She lost her leadership position and her seat in Congress. But she stood by her decision, saying that her oath to the Constitution mattered more than party loyalty.
It might not be flashy, but doing the right thing when it’s unpopular is a kind of courage that’s easy to underestimate.
Pete Buttigieg – From Mayor to National Stage
Pete Buttigieg was a little-known mayor of South Bend, Indiana, when he ran for president. People didn’t expect much, but suddenly he was on debate stages, winning delegates, and showing a calm, thoughtful approach that caught a lot of attention.
A Rhodes Scholar, Navy vet, and openly gay candidate running for the White House — that combination felt new. And for a lot of folks, it gave a sense of possibility.
He didn’t win, but he made a name for himself.
Final Thoughts
These stories don’t cover every great example — not even close. But they show something real: politics isn’t just headlines and arguments. For many, it’s deeply personal. Some go into it after a tragedy. Some walk away from success to try to help others. And some just believe they can fix what’s broken, even a little.
You don’t have to love politics to appreciate what some of these folks have done. At the very least, their stories remind us that persistence, pain, and purpose often go hand in hand.
