Al Franken An original performer on Saturday Night Live, Al Franken ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota in 2008 as a Democrat. The election was so close that it triggered a recount, with the final results concluding that Franken won by 312 votes. Franken held the seat for nearly two full terms. He resigned in 2019 following allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Arnold Schwarzenegger A native of Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger became a U.S. citizen in the 1980s during his rise as an action movie star. He ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2003 following the recall of then Democrat Gray Davis.