The Most Famous

POLITICIANS from Trinidad and Tobago

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This page contains a list of the greatest Trinidadian Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 19,576 Politicians, 12 of which were born in Trinidad and Tobago. This makes Trinidad and Tobago the birth place of the 142nd most number of Politicians behind Guyana, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Trinidadian Politicians of all time. This list of famous Trinidadian Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Trinidadian Politicians.

Photo of George Maxwell Richards

1. George Maxwell Richards (1931 - 2018)

With an HPI of 57.11, George Maxwell Richards is the most famous Trinidadian Politician.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages on wikipedia.

George Maxwell Richards (1 December 1931 – 8 January 2018) was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth president of Trinidad and Tobago, from 2003 to 2013. He was the first president and head of state in the Caribbean to have mixed Chinese and Indigenous ancestry. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad from 1984 to 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd before joining the University of the West Indies in 1965. He was sworn into office as president on 17 March 2003 for a five-year term.

Photo of Paula-Mae Weekes

2. Paula-Mae Weekes (b. 1958)

With an HPI of 56.61, Paula-Mae Weekes is the 2nd most famous Trinidadian Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 38 different languages.

Paula-Mae Weekes (born 23 December 1958) is a Trinidadian politician and jurist who was the sixth president of Trinidad and Tobago from 2018 to 2023. She is the first female President of Trinidad and Tobago, the second female head of state after Queen Elizabeth II, and the second woman of African ancestry to become a president in the western hemisphere, following Ertha Pascal-Trouillot of Haiti.

Photo of Keith Rowley

3. Keith Rowley (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 56.41, Keith Rowley is the 3rd most famous Trinidadian Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Keith Christopher Rowley (born 24 October 1949) is a Trinidadian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2025. He was the leader the People's National Movement (PNM) from 2010 to 2025 and was Leader of the Opposition from 2010 to 2015. He also served as the Member of the House of Representatives for Diego Martin West from 1991 to 2025. He is a volcanologist by profession, holding a doctorate in geology, specializing in geochemistry.

Photo of A. N. R. Robinson

4. A. N. R. Robinson (1926 - 2014)

With an HPI of 54.34, A. N. R. Robinson is the 4th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson (16 December 1926 – 9 April 2014; known as A. N. R. or "Ray" Robinson), was a Trinidad and Tobago politician who served as the third President of Trinidad and Tobago from 1997 to 2003 and the third Prime Minister from 1986 to 1991. He is known for his resilience within the government, resigning from Eric Williams’ administration in 1970 promoted by the State of Emergency imposed on Black Power protests, and is recognized for his proposal that led to the establishment of the International Criminal Court. He is also remembered for being held hostage during the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt, during which he ordered the army to “attack with full force” while being held at gunpoint. Robinson was the first active politician to be elected to the presidency, and was the first presidential candidate who was not elected unopposed (the Opposition People's National Movement nominated Justice Anthony Lucky as its candidate for president). President Robinson sparked controversy in his term in office when he refused to appoint certain senators recommended by Prime Minister Basdeo Panday following the elections in 2000 and in 2001 when he appointed the Leader of the Opposition Patrick Manning to the position of prime minister after a tied election.

Photo of Christine Kangaloo

5. Christine Kangaloo (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 53.76, Christine Kangaloo is the 5th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Christine Carla Kangaloo (born 1 December 1961) is a Trinidadian politician and lawyer, who has served as the 7th president of Trinidad and Tobago since 2023. She also served as President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago from 2015 to 2023 and acted as President of the Republic on 33 occasions before assuming office.

Photo of Kamla Persad-Bissessar

6. Kamla Persad-Bissessar (b. 1952)

With an HPI of 53.57, Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the 6th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Kamla Susheila Persad-Bissessar SC MP (née Persad, born 22 April 1952), often referred to by her initials KPB is a Trinidadian lawyer, politician and educator who has twice served as the sixth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, from 2010 to 2015 and again since May 2025. She has also been the Political Leader of the United National Congress since 2010, and was the Leader of the Opposition for three times from 2006 to 2007, January to May 2010, and again from 2015 to 2025. Persad-Bissessar is the second prime minister to have served non-consecutive terms, after Patrick Manning. Persad-Bissessar was the country's first female prime minister, attorney general, and opposition leader, the first woman to chair the Commonwealth of Nations and the first woman of Indian descent to be a prime minister of a country outside of India and the wider subcontinent. Persad-Bissessar became the Political Leader of the United National Congress in 2010. After her party lost the 2015 general elections, she served as Leader of the Opposition. After leading the UNC to victory in the 2025 general elections, she was again sworn in as prime minister on 1 May 2025. In 2011, Persad-Bissessar was named the thirteenth most influential female leader around the world by Time magazine.

Photo of Eric Williams

7. Eric Williams (1911 - 1981)

With an HPI of 53.15, Eric Williams is the 7th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He has been dubbed as the "Father of the Nation", having led the then-British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October 1956, to independence on 31 August 1962, and republic status, on 1 August 1976, leading an unbroken string of general elections victories with his political party, the People's National Movement, until his death in 1981. He represented Port of Spain South in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. He was the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and also a Caribbean historian, most noted for his book entitled Capitalism and Slavery.

Photo of Anthony Carmona

8. Anthony Carmona (b. 1953)

With an HPI of 52.41, Anthony Carmona is the 8th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona (born 7 March 1953) is a Trinidadian politician who was the fifth President of Trinidad and Tobago from 2013 to 2018. Previously, he was a High Court Judge at the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago, and served as a Judge of the International Criminal Court from 2012 to 2013.

Photo of Ellis Clarke

9. Ellis Clarke (1917 - 2010)

With an HPI of 51.90, Ellis Clarke is the 9th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke (28 December 1917 – 30 December 2010) was the first President of Trinidad and Tobago and last Governor-General. He was one of the main architects of Trinidad and Tobago's 1962 Independence constitution.

Photo of Patrick Manning

10. Patrick Manning (1946 - 2016)

With an HPI of 50.48, Patrick Manning is the 10th most famous Trinidadian Politician.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning (17 August 1946 – 2 July 2016) was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago twice from 1991 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2010. A geologist by training, Manning served as Member of Parliament for the San Fernando East constituency from 1971 until 2015 when he was replaced by Randall Mitchell, but with the seat in 2020 being won by his son Brian Manning. Patrick Manning was the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1995 to 2001. Manning was born in San Fernando and received his secondary education at Presentation College, San Fernando, and his bachelor's degree from the University of the West Indies at Mona, in 1969. After graduation, he returned to Trinidad, where he worked as a geologist for Texaco. Trinidadian historian Dr Bridget Brereton published his biography in May 2024 titled, Manning.

People

Pantheon has 12 people classified as Trinidadian politicians born between 1911 and 1961. Of these 12, 5 (41.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Trinidadian politicians include Paula-Mae Weekes, Keith Rowley, and Christine Kangaloo. The most famous deceased Trinidadian politicians include George Maxwell Richards, A. N. R. Robinson, and Eric Williams. As of April 2024, 12 new Trinidadian politicians have been added to Pantheon including George Maxwell Richards, Paula-Mae Weekes, and Keith Rowley.

Living Trinidadian Politicians

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Deceased Trinidadian Politicians

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Newly Added Trinidadian Politicians (2024)

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Overlapping Lives

Which Politicians were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 7 most globally memorable Politicians since 1700.