![ Sela Ward was born in July of 1956. Her parents were Granberry Holland, an electrical engineer, and Annie Kate Ward; the 3 younger children in the family are Jenna (1957), Berry (1959) and Brock (1961). "Sela" is a Hebrew word that means "rock, boulder, cliff." Ward graduated from the University of Alabama in 1977, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art and advertising. She was also a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide football team, a Homecoming Queen and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. After college, Ward moved to New York to work for an advertising agency. Responding to a friend's suggestion that she was tall (5'7") and pretty enough to try modeling, Ward began a highly successful career with the Wilhelmina Agency. Ward is perhaps best known for her role as Teddy on the TV series, Sisters. Most recently, she has appeared on the TV Series, CSI:NY. She is married to Howard Sherman, a venture capitalist, and has two children. Ward is a Republican. She joined celebrities Lance Bass and Morgan Freeman in raising humanitarian support for Mississippi’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of Homesick: A Memoir. Ward considers herself at heart a small-town girl. When her world was recently rocked by a crisis -- the death of her mother -- Sela's journey home to Meridian, Mississippi, as described in this book, became something far deeper: a turning point in her own life, as she pondered her mother's complicated legacy and came to terms with just what it was she herself was searching for.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/1f/00/1f00bfc8d59b1c55210edad32f146d98.jpg?itok=kw4edXJb " Sela Ward was born in July of 1956. Her parents were Granberry Holland, an electrical engineer, and Annie Kate Ward; the 3 younger children in the family are Jenna (1957), Berry (1959) and Brock (1961). "Sela" is a Hebrew word that means "rock, boulder, cliff." Ward graduated from the University of Alabama in 1977, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art and advertising. She was also a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide football team, a Homecoming Queen and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. After college, Ward moved to New York to work for an advertising agency. Responding to a friend's suggestion that she was tall (5'7") and pretty enough to try modeling, Ward began a highly successful career with the Wilhelmina Agency. Ward is perhaps best known for her role as Teddy on the TV series, Sisters. Most recently, she has appeared on the TV Series, CSI:NY. She is married to Howard Sherman, a venture capitalist, and has two children. Ward is a Republican. She joined celebrities Lance Bass and Morgan Freeman in raising humanitarian support for Mississippi’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of Homesick: A Memoir. Ward considers herself at heart a small-town girl. When her world was recently rocked by a crisis -- the death of her mother -- Sela's journey home to Meridian, Mississippi, as described in this book, became something far deeper: a turning point in her own life, as she pondered her mother's complicated legacy and came to terms with just what it was she herself was searching for.")
![Born in April 1968 and fluent in French, Ashley Judd was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Her mother and sister are country singers, Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day. Ashley Judd is perhaps best known for her role as Becca Winstone on the recent ABC TV series, Missing, and for the movies, "Someone Like You…" and "Double Jeopardy."“What’s better than playing a politician in a movie?" For Ashley Judd, the answer may be becoming one herself. According to Jonathan Miller of the Daily Beast (February 15, 2013), the actress is reportedly exploring a 2014 U.S. Senate bid, in which she would take on longtime Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. For Judd, the move is not as much of a stretch as one might think. She’s an eighth-generation Kentuckian, extremely politically active, and could raise loads of cash for the Democratic party in the state.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/03/a9/03a960daaff764f9e624610333515541.jpg?itok=1KPU0lBr "Born in April 1968 and fluent in French, Ashley Judd was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Her mother and sister are country singers, Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day. Ashley Judd is perhaps best known for her role as Becca Winstone on the recent ABC TV series, Missing, and for the movies, "Someone Like You…" and "Double Jeopardy."“What’s better than playing a politician in a movie?" For Ashley Judd, the answer may be becoming one herself. According to Jonathan Miller of the Daily Beast (February 15, 2013), the actress is reportedly exploring a 2014 U.S. Senate bid, in which she would take on longtime Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. For Judd, the move is not as much of a stretch as one might think. She’s an eighth-generation Kentuckian, extremely politically active, and could raise loads of cash for the Democratic party in the state."){kind=small}
![Eva Longoria was the Co-Chair of President Obama's Presidential Re-Election Campaign. The youngest of four sisters who grew up on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas, Longoria attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. After graduating from college, she entered a talent contest that brought her to Los Angeles, where she was spotted and subsequently signed by a theatrical agent. She is perhaps best known for her role as Gabriella Solis in the ABC TV series, Desperate Housewives. A prominent successful Latina, Longoria was one of the most eloquent speakers at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and is likely to stay very active in the politics of the Democratic Party in the years to come. After all, she was born in March of 1975 and just turned 30 in 2005."I signed up for financial aid, Pell grants, work study, anything I could, and just like our President and First Lady, I took out loans to pay for school," said Longoria at the 2012 Democratic National Convention."The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers - she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not," she continued. ](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/8b/53/8b53e73bebe2a17a305f57d0ca27408d.jpg?itok=a2NcX288 "Eva Longoria was the Co-Chair of President Obama's Presidential Re-Election Campaign. The youngest of four sisters who grew up on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas, Longoria attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. After graduating from college, she entered a talent contest that brought her to Los Angeles, where she was spotted and subsequently signed by a theatrical agent. She is perhaps best known for her role as Gabriella Solis in the ABC TV series, Desperate Housewives. A prominent successful Latina, Longoria was one of the most eloquent speakers at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and is likely to stay very active in the politics of the Democratic Party in the years to come. After all, she was born in March of 1975 and just turned 30 in 2005."I signed up for financial aid, Pell grants, work study, anything I could, and just like our President and First Lady, I took out loans to pay for school," said Longoria at the 2012 Democratic National Convention."The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers - she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not," she continued. "){kind=small}
![Jessica Alba is a Democrat. Born in Pomona, California, on April 28, 1981, Alba and her family moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, when she was an infant. Three years later, her Air Force father brought the family back to California, then to Del Rio, Texas, before finally settling in Southern California when Alba was nine. In love with the idea of becoming an actress from the age of five, she was 12 before she took her first acting class. Nine months later, she was signed by an agent. She graduated from high school at age 16.A gifted young actress, Alba has already played a variety of roles ranging from light comedy to gritty drama since beginning her career. She made her feature film debut in 1993 in Hollywood Pictures' comedy "Camp Nowhere" (1994). Alba is married to Cash Warren and has two children. She is perhaps best known for her role as Susan Storm in the "Fantastic Four" superhero thriller movie.Alba was a prominent guest at both the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions. In 2012, she was often seen on the convention's national news coverage, along with fellow hard-to-miss actors Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.“My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn't speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.” – Jessica Alba](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/5a/cf/5acf1db17e1291d8f671e208685269f4.jpg?itok=5XJBn2Xd "Jessica Alba is a Democrat. Born in Pomona, California, on April 28, 1981, Alba and her family moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, when she was an infant. Three years later, her Air Force father brought the family back to California, then to Del Rio, Texas, before finally settling in Southern California when Alba was nine. In love with the idea of becoming an actress from the age of five, she was 12 before she took her first acting class. Nine months later, she was signed by an agent. She graduated from high school at age 16.A gifted young actress, Alba has already played a variety of roles ranging from light comedy to gritty drama since beginning her career. She made her feature film debut in 1993 in Hollywood Pictures' comedy "Camp Nowhere" (1994). Alba is married to Cash Warren and has two children. She is perhaps best known for her role as Susan Storm in the "Fantastic Four" superhero thriller movie.Alba was a prominent guest at both the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions. In 2012, she was often seen on the convention's national news coverage, along with fellow hard-to-miss actors Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.“My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn't speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.” – Jessica Alba")
In honor of President’s Day, here is a look at six women celebrities who are attracted to politics and are using their voices in support of issues they feel passionate about. All beautiful, successful women, they range in age from 32 to 57.
This is a particularly timely opportunity to share a glance on famous women in politics, when the news always comes back to questions around whether former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or First Lady Michelle Obama are mulling runs to become the first woman President of the United States in the decade to come.
Each of these six celebrities have quite diverse backgrounds. They have different stands on policies affecting families and the economy today. Yet each woman is a public figure and successful in her own right, from appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated to writing a memoir to speaking at both Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
![Jessica Alba is a Democrat. Born in Pomona, California, on April 28, 1981, Alba and her family moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, when she was an infant. Three years later, her Air Force father brought the family back to California, then to Del Rio, Texas, before finally settling in Southern California when Alba was nine. In love with the idea of becoming an actress from the age of five, she was 12 before she took her first acting class. Nine months later, she was signed by an agent. She graduated from high school at age 16.A gifted young actress, Alba has already played a variety of roles ranging from light comedy to gritty drama since beginning her career. She made her feature film debut in 1993 in Hollywood Pictures' comedy "Camp Nowhere" (1994). Alba is married to Cash Warren and has two children. She is perhaps best known for her role as Susan Storm in the "Fantastic Four" superhero thriller movie.Alba was a prominent guest at both the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions. In 2012, she was often seen on the convention's national news coverage, along with fellow hard-to-miss actors Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.“My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn't speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.” – Jessica Alba](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/3b/80/3b803cd34e1b11adfba22e3dbf67f132.jpg?itok=d7bNJVMb "Jessica Alba is a Democrat. Born in Pomona, California, on April 28, 1981, Alba and her family moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, when she was an infant. Three years later, her Air Force father brought the family back to California, then to Del Rio, Texas, before finally settling in Southern California when Alba was nine. In love with the idea of becoming an actress from the age of five, she was 12 before she took her first acting class. Nine months later, she was signed by an agent. She graduated from high school at age 16.A gifted young actress, Alba has already played a variety of roles ranging from light comedy to gritty drama since beginning her career. She made her feature film debut in 1993 in Hollywood Pictures' comedy "Camp Nowhere" (1994). Alba is married to Cash Warren and has two children. She is perhaps best known for her role as Susan Storm in the "Fantastic Four" superhero thriller movie.Alba was a prominent guest at both the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions. In 2012, she was often seen on the convention's national news coverage, along with fellow hard-to-miss actors Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.“My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn't speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.” – Jessica Alba")
![Eva Longoria was the Co-Chair of President Obama's Presidential Re-Election Campaign. The youngest of four sisters who grew up on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas, Longoria attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. After graduating from college, she entered a talent contest that brought her to Los Angeles, where she was spotted and subsequently signed by a theatrical agent. She is perhaps best known for her role as Gabriella Solis in the ABC TV series, Desperate Housewives. A prominent successful Latina, Longoria was one of the most eloquent speakers at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and is likely to stay very active in the politics of the Democratic Party in the years to come. After all, she was born in March of 1975 and just turned 30 in 2005."I signed up for financial aid, Pell grants, work study, anything I could, and just like our President and First Lady, I took out loans to pay for school," said Longoria at the 2012 Democratic National Convention."The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers - she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not," she continued. ](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/1d/ea/1dea0105d3479bc1732c3ee7edea8301.jpg?itok=-lt3ofAl "Eva Longoria was the Co-Chair of President Obama's Presidential Re-Election Campaign. The youngest of four sisters who grew up on a ranch near Corpus Christi, Texas, Longoria attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. After graduating from college, she entered a talent contest that brought her to Los Angeles, where she was spotted and subsequently signed by a theatrical agent. She is perhaps best known for her role as Gabriella Solis in the ABC TV series, Desperate Housewives. A prominent successful Latina, Longoria was one of the most eloquent speakers at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and is likely to stay very active in the politics of the Democratic Party in the years to come. After all, she was born in March of 1975 and just turned 30 in 2005."I signed up for financial aid, Pell grants, work study, anything I could, and just like our President and First Lady, I took out loans to pay for school," said Longoria at the 2012 Democratic National Convention."The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers - she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not," she continued. ")
![Born in April 1968 and fluent in French, Ashley Judd was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Her mother and sister are country singers, Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day. Ashley Judd is perhaps best known for her role as Becca Winstone on the recent ABC TV series, Missing, and for the movies, "Someone Like You…" and "Double Jeopardy."“What’s better than playing a politician in a movie?" For Ashley Judd, the answer may be becoming one herself. According to Jonathan Miller of the Daily Beast (February 15, 2013), the actress is reportedly exploring a 2014 U.S. Senate bid, in which she would take on longtime Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. For Judd, the move is not as much of a stretch as one might think. She’s an eighth-generation Kentuckian, extremely politically active, and could raise loads of cash for the Democratic party in the state.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/20/36/203657205e3ee163c9fc777593efaecb.jpg?itok=gyRYmMdf "Born in April 1968 and fluent in French, Ashley Judd was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French and minored in cultural anthropology, art history, theater, and women's studies. She left a few credits shy of graduating in 1990, when she decided to drive cross-country to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Her mother and sister are country singers, Naomi Judd and Wynonna Judd. She once worked cleaning her mom's and sister's tour bus for $10 a day. Ashley Judd is perhaps best known for her role as Becca Winstone on the recent ABC TV series, Missing, and for the movies, "Someone Like You…" and "Double Jeopardy."“What’s better than playing a politician in a movie?" For Ashley Judd, the answer may be becoming one herself. According to Jonathan Miller of the Daily Beast (February 15, 2013), the actress is reportedly exploring a 2014 U.S. Senate bid, in which she would take on longtime Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. For Judd, the move is not as much of a stretch as one might think. She’s an eighth-generation Kentuckian, extremely politically active, and could raise loads of cash for the Democratic party in the state.")
![ Sela Ward was born in July of 1956. Her parents were Granberry Holland, an electrical engineer, and Annie Kate Ward; the 3 younger children in the family are Jenna (1957), Berry (1959) and Brock (1961). "Sela" is a Hebrew word that means "rock, boulder, cliff." Ward graduated from the University of Alabama in 1977, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art and advertising. She was also a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide football team, a Homecoming Queen and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. After college, Ward moved to New York to work for an advertising agency. Responding to a friend's suggestion that she was tall (5'7") and pretty enough to try modeling, Ward began a highly successful career with the Wilhelmina Agency. Ward is perhaps best known for her role as Teddy on the TV series, Sisters. Most recently, she has appeared on the TV Series, CSI:NY. She is married to Howard Sherman, a venture capitalist, and has two children. Ward is a Republican. She joined celebrities Lance Bass and Morgan Freeman in raising humanitarian support for Mississippi’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of Homesick: A Memoir. Ward considers herself at heart a small-town girl. When her world was recently rocked by a crisis -- the death of her mother -- Sela's journey home to Meridian, Mississippi, as described in this book, became something far deeper: a turning point in her own life, as she pondered her mother's complicated legacy and came to terms with just what it was she herself was searching for.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/3b/4f/3b4f07d59989cf950ec6f2b38ab32fad.jpg?itok=Pb9yg8pP " Sela Ward was born in July of 1956. Her parents were Granberry Holland, an electrical engineer, and Annie Kate Ward; the 3 younger children in the family are Jenna (1957), Berry (1959) and Brock (1961). "Sela" is a Hebrew word that means "rock, boulder, cliff." Ward graduated from the University of Alabama in 1977, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art and advertising. She was also a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide football team, a Homecoming Queen and a member of the Chi Omega sorority. After college, Ward moved to New York to work for an advertising agency. Responding to a friend's suggestion that she was tall (5'7") and pretty enough to try modeling, Ward began a highly successful career with the Wilhelmina Agency. Ward is perhaps best known for her role as Teddy on the TV series, Sisters. Most recently, she has appeared on the TV Series, CSI:NY. She is married to Howard Sherman, a venture capitalist, and has two children. Ward is a Republican. She joined celebrities Lance Bass and Morgan Freeman in raising humanitarian support for Mississippi’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Ward is also the author of Homesick: A Memoir. Ward considers herself at heart a small-town girl. When her world was recently rocked by a crisis -- the death of her mother -- Sela's journey home to Meridian, Mississippi, as described in this book, became something far deeper: a turning point in her own life, as she pondered her mother's complicated legacy and came to terms with just what it was she herself was searching for.")
![Angie Harmon was born in August of 1972 in Dallas, Texas. She is married to former New York Giants and NFL star, Jason Sehorn, and has three children. She most recently starred in the TV series, Rizzoli and Isles and might be best known for her role as ADA Abbie Carmichael in the TV series, Law & Order.Harmon, in a 2009 interview with FoxNews.com said:"I think one of the greatest things about the Republican Party is the understanding, we don't point fingers and we have class... Not all of us are supposed to believe the same things and think the same way," she added. "I think the difference between the parties is, with the Democrats you can sit down with them and have a 15 minute conversation and if you're not believing everything they say and buying into what they're selling you, it is like you're some dumb hick who doesn't deserve to live here anymore. But with the Republicans, it is like okay I want to know what you know, you want to know what I know, okay great lets go have a beer after work, we're still friends."Harmon is proud to have recently become a UNICEF ambassador to help raise awareness on combating child trafficking.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/7d/3b/7d3bc9d9913af1eb0674d72b1caa2289.jpg?itok=dLrgMlJp "Angie Harmon was born in August of 1972 in Dallas, Texas. She is married to former New York Giants and NFL star, Jason Sehorn, and has three children. She most recently starred in the TV series, Rizzoli and Isles and might be best known for her role as ADA Abbie Carmichael in the TV series, Law & Order.Harmon, in a 2009 interview with FoxNews.com said:"I think one of the greatest things about the Republican Party is the understanding, we don't point fingers and we have class... Not all of us are supposed to believe the same things and think the same way," she added. "I think the difference between the parties is, with the Democrats you can sit down with them and have a 15 minute conversation and if you're not believing everything they say and buying into what they're selling you, it is like you're some dumb hick who doesn't deserve to live here anymore. But with the Republicans, it is like okay I want to know what you know, you want to know what I know, okay great lets go have a beer after work, we're still friends."Harmon is proud to have recently become a UNICEF ambassador to help raise awareness on combating child trafficking.")
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