Bush, Kennedy and more: 5 political dynasties to watch Election Day

George P. Bush (Juan Carlos Llorca, AP)

Joining the family business is a time-honored tradition in politics, going back to the earliest days of American democracy with the presidencies of John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams. Here’s a look at five candidates who could add to their family’s political dynasty.

George P. Bush

The son of a former Florida governor, grandson of a president and nephew of another White House occupant is poised to become the fourth generation of Bushes to hold elected office. George P. Bush (pictured at top)  is expected to easily defeat John Cook in the race for Texas land commissioner. The “P” in his name stands for Prescott, after his great-grandfather who was a U.S. senator from Connecticut. The 38-year-old Bush, a lawyer and investment adviser, is fluent in Spanish and has long made outreach to younger Republicans and Latinos a priority.

Jason Carter

Jason Carter (David Goldman, AP)

Carter, a state senator in Georgia, is locked in a tight race for governor against GOP incumbent Gov. Nathan Deal.The 39-year-old lawyer is a grandson of former president Jimmy Carter — whose own political career began in the state Senate and then progressed to governor before ending in the White House. Jack Carter, Jason’s father and the former president’s eldest son, lost a 2006 race for the U.S. Senate in Nevada.

Gwen Graham

Gwen Graham (Heather Leiphart, The News Herald via AP)

Graham, a 51-year-old lawyer, is running for Congress against GOP Rep. Steve Southerland in Florida. She is the daughter of Bob Graham, a popular former governor and U.S. senator who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. The race in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District covering Tallahassee and parts of the Panhandle has been nasty. Mitt Romney won the district by 5 points in 2012.

Ted Kennedy Jr.

Ted Kennedy Jr. (Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

The son of a U.S. senator and nephew of  an American president is running for an office far removed from the White House and Congress. Kennedy Jr., a 53-year-old environmental lawyer, is seeking election to the state Senate in Connecticut, where he’s lived for 30 years. He turned down entreaties to run for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, which his father served for 47 years and earned the nickname of the Democrats’ “liberal lion.”

Michelle Nunn

Michelle Nunn (David Goldman, AP)

Nunn, 47, is battling in a close race for U.S. Senate against businessman David Perdue. A former CEO of the Points of Light volunteer organization, Nunn is the daughter of former U.S. senator Sam Nunn, who embodied a bipartisan style of politics in his 24 years in Washington. The Georgia race is among those that could help determine which party controls the Senate.

Bonus: Ross Miller vs. Adam Laxalt

Adam Laxalt, left, and Ross Miller (John Locher, AP)

The race for attorney general in Nevada features scions of two families long dominant in Silver State politics. Democrat Ross Miller, Nevada’s secretary of state, is running against Republican Adam Laxalt. Miller’s father, Bob, is a popular ex-governor who was the state’s longest-serving CEO. Laxalt’s grandfather, Paul, was also governor as well as a former U.S. senator and chairman of the Republican Party. Seven of Laxalt’s relatives recently endorsed Miller.