Democratic National Committee - Definition and Overview

The Democratic National Committee is the principal campaign and fund-raising organization affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. The committee was established in 1848 at that year's Democratic National Convention.

Its current leaders are:

• Chairman Terry McAuliffe
• Vice-Chairwoman Linda Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO
• Vice-Chairwoman Gloria Molina, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• Vice-Chairwoman Lottie Shackelford, a former Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, and is a member of the board of directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation or OPIC
• Vice-Chairman Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party and president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs
• Vice-Chairman Wellington Webb, a former Mayor of Denver, Colorado.
• Deputy Chairman U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.)
• Deputy Chairman Ben Johnson, former special assistant to President Bill Clinton
• Deputy Chairwoman Susan Turnbull of the Maryland Democratic Party
• Treasurer Andrew Tobias -- businessman, author, and financial self-help guru
• Secretary Alice Travis Germond
• National Finance Chairwoman Maureen White, U.S. representative to UNICEF, and as the chairwoman of the Leadership Council on Children Affected by Armed Conflict, member of the board of Human Rights Watch and the International Rescue Committee

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean III, M.D., as the only remaining contender for the Chair position, is poised to succeed Terry McAuliffe on February 12, 2005.

Chairmen of the Democratic National Committee, 1848-present

• Benjamin F. Hallett (1848-1852)
• Robert M. McLane (1852-1856)
• David A. Smalley (1856-1860)
• August Belmont (1860-1872)
• Augustus Schell (1872-1876)
• Abram Stevens Hewitt (1876-1877)
• William H. Barnum (1877-1889)
• Calvin Steward Brice (1889-1892)
• William F. Harrity (1892-1896)
• James K. Jones (1896-1904)
• Thomas Taggart (1904-1908)
• Norman E. Mack (1908-1912)
• William F. McCombs (1912-1914)
• Homer S. Cummings (1914-1916)
• Vance C. McCormick (1916-1919)
• George White (1920-1921)
• Cordell Hull (1921-1924)
• Clem L. Shaver (1924-1928)
• John J. Raskob (1928-1932)
• James A. Farley (1932-1940)
• Edward J. Flynn (1940-1943)
• Frank C. Walker (1943-1944)
• Robert E. Hannegan (1944-1947)
• J. Howard McGrath (1947-1949)
• William H. Boyle, Jr. (1949-1951)
• Frank E. McKinney (1951-1952)
• Stephen A. Mitchell (1952-1955)
• Paul M. Butler (1955-1960)
• Henry M. Jackson (1960-1961)
• John M. Bailey (1961-1968)
• Lawrence F. O'Brien (1968-1969)
• Fred R. Harris (1969-1970)
• Lawrence F. O'Brien (1970-1972)
• Jean M. Westwood (1972)
• Robert S. Strauss (1972-1977)
• Kenneth M. Curtis (1977-1978)
• John C. White (1978-1981)
• Charles T. Manatt (1981-1985)
• Paul G. Kirk, Jr. (1985-1989)
• Ron Brown (1989-1993)
• David Wilhelm (1993-1994)
• Debra DeLee (1994-1995)
• Donald L. Fowler (National Chairman) and Christopher J. Dodd (General Chairman) (1995-1997)
• Steven Grossman (National Chairman) and Roy Romer (General Chairman) (1997-1999)
• Joe Andrew (National Chairman) and Roy Romer (General Chairman) (1999)
• Joe Andrew (National Chairman) and Ed Rendell (General Chairman) (1999-2001)
• Terry McAuliffe (2001-2004 )

Election of DNC Chairman and officers

The Democratic National Committee will meet February 10-12, 2005 to elect a new DNC Chair as well as new officers. The 447 members of the DNC will cast their votes for Party Chair on the 12th. Current DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe has said that he will not seek a second term.

The only remaining candidate running for the DNC Chairmanship is former Governor of Vermont and presidential candidate, Dr. Howard Dean. Other candidates who ran, but conceded, included DNC Vice-chairman and former Denver mayor Wellington Webb, former Indiana congressman and 9/11 Commission member Tim Roemer, former Texas congressman Martin Frost, political activist and Kerry campaign chair for Michigan Donnie Fowler, and New Democrat Network founder Simon Rosenberg.

See also

Current DNC Members

External link

• DNC home page (http://www.democrats.org/about/function.html)