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2008 Democratic Party presidential candidates

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Template:Future election While it is rare for candidates for President of the United States to officially declare their candidacy prior to late in the year preceding the presidential election (in this case, 2007), some potential Democratic candidates have expressed their interest in running in the 2008 presidential election and are listed below. At this early stage, many of the strongest candidates might have yet to emerge, and these lists include few of the political figures who excite speculation amongst political activists, insiders, and media commentators.

Official candidates

These are the people who have officially decided to run for office by filing the necessary papers with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to run for President.

Official candidates

Mike Gravel, former Senator 		Mike Gravel, born May 13, 1930, in Springfield, Massachusetts. U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 and an active candidate for Vice President in 1972. He was notable for advocating a guaranteed annual income, which he termed a "citizen's wage," of $5,000 per person, irrespective of whether the person worked. On April 13, 2006, Gravel announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. His policy announcements to date include support for direct democracy, FairTax and withdrawal from Iraq. His is considered a very longshot candidacy since former Sen. Gravel will be 78 years old at the time of the general election and will have been out of federal politics for almost three decades at the time of the election. Interestingly, a Zogby poll taken on November 3, 2006 taken on candidate biographies and accomplishments of potential Democratic candidates had Gravel in second place, tied with John Kerry and slightly behind Hillary Clinton. [3]

Mike Gravel filed with the FEC in April according to various news sources.[1] [2] The FEC's site has listed his reports since July.[3]

  • Senator from Alaska: 1969–1981
File:Tvilsack.jpg
Governor Tom Vilsack 		Tom Vilsack, born December 13 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Governor of Iowa, Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. Vilsack will be succeeded as governor by Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver (D). Many suspected Vilsack was high on the list of potential running mates for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election. He has recently been increasing his national exposure.[4][5] In 2005, Vilsack established Heartland PAC,[6]a political action committee aimed at electing Democratic Governors and other statewide candidates. Unlike the PACs of potential candidates, Heartland PAC is not a federal PAC and can not contribute to federal candidates.

On November 9 2006, Vilsack announced that he would be filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to run for President.[7]

  • Governor of Iowa: 1999–present

Announced candidates

These are people who have said that they will run for the Democratic nomination for President, but have not yet filed the necessary papers with the FEC.

Announced candidates
File:Jrbiden.jpg
Senator Joe Biden 		Joe Biden, born November 20 1942 in Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator from Delaware and 1988 Democratic primary candidate. Biden first hinted that he might run in a December 8, 2004 radio interview with host Don Imus, saying: "I'm going to proceed as if I'm going to run." Subsequent to dropping other suggestions over ensuing months, Biden officially declared his presidential candidacy on March 21, 2006. Biden's Federal Leadership PAC is "Unite Our States", which tracks Biden's public appearances and policy positions.[8][9][10]
  • Senator from Delaware: 1973 - Present

Representative Dennis Kucinich 		Dennis Kucinich, Ohio Congressman, and 2004 Democratic primary candidate. Kucinich got the second highest number of votes at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Kucinich threw his support behind Kerry in 2004 although a sizable number of Kucinich's delegates refused to follow suit. There has been a strong movement to draft Kucinich for the Presidency in 2008. He has the most grassroots support of any of the 2008 nominees, with Democrats, Greens, and independents urging him to run for the White House. Dennis Kucinich led the opposition to the war in Iraq in 2003. He also led the fight against U.S.A. PATRIOT in the House of Representatives. Kucinich is currently leading the fight to end the war in Iraq by cutting all funding to the war. Kucinich is the leader of the opposition to war in Iran. Kucinich's proposed Department of Peace has widespread grassroots support of people across America. Kucinich has received a great many awards from a variety of groups for his courage and work for peace. He is also a popular favorite among youth activists. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported in December 2006 that there was talk on Capitol Hill about Kucinich jumping into the fray again. [4]
  • Representative from the 10th District of Ohio: 1997 - Present
  • Mayor of Cleveland: 1978-1979

Potential candidates who have formed exploratory committees

These people have formed exploratory commitees to run for President.

Candidates who have formed exploratory committees

Senator Evan Bayh 		Evan Bayh, was born December 26, 1955 in Indiana, former two-term Governor and currently a second-term U.S. Senator from that state. In February of 2005, Bayh renamed his Federal Leadership PAC the All America PAC[11] and hired a new veteran staff with experience on the 2004 campaigns of John Kerry and Wesley Clark for President and Tom Daschle for senate.[5] His new staff includes New Hampshire political operative Steve Bouchard, his deputy Chris Smith, longtime Democratic fundraiser Nancy Jacobson, and informal advisor Ronald Klain. On December 1, 2006, anonymous high-ranking political officials announced that he would set up an exploratory committee within a week.[12] He confirmed this on December 3rd. [6]
  • Senator from Indiana: 1999 - Present
  • Governor of Indiana: 1989 - 1997
  • Indiana Secretary of State: 1987 - 1989

Potential candidates

Potential candidates

General Wesley Clark (Ret.) 		Wesley Clark, born December 23, 1944 in Illinois, retired United States Army four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Clark is traveling widely through his Federal Leadership PAC WesPAC [7], and is a commentator on FOX News, while grassroots campaigns for Clark have become active on the internet.[13] Clark was a 2004 Presidential candidate as well, narrowly winning the Oklahoma primary.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton 		Hillary Rodham Clinton, born October 26 1947 in Illinois, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady of the United States. While frequently asked by media interviewers about her plans for 2008, she has remained noncommital, saying she'd be focusing on her work for her 2006 Senate re-election campaign. In spite of this, polling organizations generally include her on polls involving likely candidates. She has delivered several speeches, including one on abortion, which analysts say are intended to reach out to moderates. She has also been a consistent, vocal supporter of America's participation in the Iraq war, perhaps as part of an effort to shake perceptions of being overly liberal. She has also been holding fundraising meetings, including meeting with women from Massachusetts, a key constituency of potential rival and 2004 nominee John Kerry.(a) However, these activities are consistent with the lead up to a campaign for re-election to her Senate seat in 2006. Many Republicans appear to desire Hillary Clinton's candidacy for President, presumably believing her to be a polarizing figure and thus easy to defeat. The popular parody newspaper The Onion ran a headline commenting on this attitude, asking "Could Hillary Clinton Have What It Takes To Defeat The Democrats In 2008?" Her Federal Leadership PAC is HILLPAC.[14]
  • Senator from New York: 2001 - Present

Senator Christopher Dodd 		Christopher Dodd, was born May 27 1944 in Connecticut and is a U.S. Senator from that state. Dodd was reported to be a likely contender for the Democratic Vice President slot on John Kerry's ticket in 2004. He is the first Senator from Connecticut to serve five consecutive terms. In May 2006, Dodd said he has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008", including hiring staff, raising money and traveling around the country in the next few months to enlist support.[15]
  • Senator from Connecticut: 1981 - Present
  • Representative from the 2nd District of Connecticut: 1975 - 1981
File:Edwards senate.jpg
John Edwards, former Senator 		John Edwards, born June 10 1953 in South Carolina, former U.S. Senator from North Carolina and 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate. As a Presidential candidate Edwards was famed for his populist message in his "Two Americas" Speech and also for being one of the most optimistic candidates seen in a long time. This was evidenced by his refusal to attack his opponents. In the primaries Sen. Edwards had strong come-from-behind showings and nearly winning in the crucial states of Iowa, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Georgia. He also won the North Carolina and South Carolina primaries. And Edwards has kept his Federal Leadership PAC, the One America Committee [8], to help Democrats across the nation win elections in the future. On February 5, 2005, Edwards spoke at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's fundraising dinner. On August 18, 2005, Edwards traveled to Waterloo, Iowa to deliver an address to the Iowa AFL-CIO, a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucus. Officially, Edwards refuses to say whether he will run in 2008.[16]
  • Senator from North Carolina: 1999 - 2005
  • Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate: 2004

Senator John Kerry 		John Kerry, born December 11 1943 in Denver, Colorado, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and the unsuccessful 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. On March 1, 2005, Kerry created a new Federal Leadership PAC, Keeping America's Promise[9], which he plans to use to maintain national visibility and political viability.[17] Kerry has recruited several top staffers to run it including John Giesser, the No. 2 operative at the DNC in 2000 and 2004, and Jay Dunn, who served as DNC finance director, to manage its finances. Also involved are Jenny Backus and Leigh Garland who worked under Terry McAuliffe and long-time Kerry fundraisers Josh Warren and Jon Patsavos. "That’s a very, very high-powered team that he’s keeping in place. You don’t generally spend those kind of resources and put that effort in building the A team to run for another term in the U.S. Senate," said former DNC chairman Steve Grossman. [10] Dan Payne, a Democratic strategist, told the Washington Post that "This is the kind of thing he has to do" in order to run for President in 2008.[18] Through Keeping America's Promise, Kerry has raised $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2006 from 11,000 donors nationally. [11] Kerry told CNN, with respect to a run in 2008, "it's crazy to be thinking about it now" but went on to say that "I'll make my judgment when the time comes and I don't care what history says." [12] Kerry raised eyebrows when he made a strong statement as to how to lead in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina following Bush's address to the nation. [13] Kerry is buoyed by polls that show him beating George Bush by 10% if the 2004 election were held this year, as well as his ability to draw overflowing crowds while stumping for other Democrats in traditionally Republican strongholds such as Texas and South Carolina. However, there was a minor controversy on October 30, 2006 over a speech made by Kerry at Pasadena City College. Future implications of his comments are still unclear, however Kerry himself claimed the incident will have little bearing on 2008 and that he will make a decision in early 2007. [14] [15] [16] [17]
  • Senator from Massachusetts: 1985 - Present
  • Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: 1983-1985
  • Democratic Party Presidential nominee: 2004
File:SenatorBarackObama.jpg
Senator Barack Obama 		Barack Obama, born August 4 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Senator from Illinois. A "draft Obama" movement began with his well-received keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Neil Young mentioned him as a potential President in his song "Looking for a Leader". In September 2006, Obama's Senate primary opponent Daniel Hynes, in an open letter published in the Chicago Sun-Times, urged Democrats to draft Obama for the 2008 Presidential race.[19] Also in September, Obama was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a political event favored by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus. He was endorsed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2006.[20] Most recently, TIME Magazine ran a cover story by Joe Klein with the headline "Why Barack Obama Could Be the Next President."[21]. On October 22, 2006, he acknowledged he was considering a run for president, backing off previous statements to the contrary. He said he would make a decision after the November 7 mid-term elections.[22] On a November 7 interview on CNN, Obama said he was likely to go back and reflect, talk with his wife, and not make a decision until January, 2007.
  • Senator from Illinois: 2005 - Present

Governor Bill Richardson 		Bill Richardson, born November 15 1947 in California, Governor of New Mexico, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy and U.S. Representative. After reportedly informing party leaders in February 2005 of his intention to run for president, on December 7, 2006 Richardson said "I am running" during his response to a prospective question about the 2008 presidential election by Fox News, however he later retracted the decision and said he would make an official decision by January. [18][19] Richardson's Federal Leadership PAC is "Moving America Forward".
  • Governor of New Mexico: 2003 - Present
  • United States Secretary of Energy: 1998 - 2001
  • Representative from the 3rd District of New Mexico: 1983 - 1997

Reverend Al Sharpton 		Al Sharpton of New York, Pentecostal minister, civil rights activist, former candidate for mayor of New York and for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from New York, and candidate for the 2004 nomination. When asked about 2008, he replied, "Don't get Hillary mad at me."[23] He was one of the first candidates to enter the 2004 race, but thus far he has said nothing more about 2008. His 2004 campaign was not a great success. He never got more than 10% of the vote in any state, although he did get 20% in the District of Columbia.[24] There are still unresolved campaign-finance issues left over from this campaign. According to a November 23th article in the New York Daily News, Sharpton said he is "considering" a presidential run in 2008, adding, "I'm waiting to see if someone raises the issues I want to see raised," said Sharpton, citing the Iraq war, civil rights and education.[20]

Other people mentioned as possible candidates

Others mentioned as possible candidates

Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States 		Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President from Tennessee, and the 2000 Democratic nominee. In early 2005, reports, including that from Chris Matthews[25] and CBS News,[26] said that Gore was considering a run in 2008. Gore has stated several times that he has "no plans" to be a candidate again.[27] In the summer of 2006, he was the messenger in the documentary entitled An Inconvenient Truth which concerns bringing forth scientific evidence to support anthropogenic climate change and to alert people on a grassroots level as to what they can do to be part of the solution in facing its effects. As of mid-2006, Gore has seen a dramatic increase of support amongst the left grassroots Democratic constituency, who have stated a high level of support for a possible Gore candidacy in recent polls taken by Daily Kos, with Gore leading all other possible 2008 Democratic nominees with 35% of respondents supporting him, and a surprisingly high number of respondents (68%), preferred Gore as the 2008 Democratic nominee in an AlterNet poll in the hopes of seeing an "anti-hillary" candidate.
  • Vice-President of the United States: 1993 - 2001
  • Senator from Tennessee: 1985 - 1993
  • Representative from the 6th District of Tennessee: 1983 - 1985
  • Representative from the 4th District of Tennessee: 1977 - 1983
  • Democratic Party presidential candidate: 2000
  • Democratic Party vice presidential candidate: 1992, 1996

Declined to seek nomination

Potential candidates who decided against running

Tom Daschle, former Senator 		Tom Daschle, born December 9 1947 in South Dakota, former U.S. Senator from that state. He has set up a new political action committee and plans a Jefferson-Jackson Day speech in the politically pivotal state of Iowa. Daschle has transferred $500,000 into the new Federal Leadership PAC, New Leadership for America.[21] In July 2005, Daschle said he was not planning a rematch against his successor John Thune in 2010 and he told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper that he was seriously considering a run and would not "rule out the possibility of an official announcement in the near future". [22]

On December 2, 2006, Daschle announced he would not run for President in 2008. [23]

  • Senator from South Dakota: 1987 - 2005 (Democratic Leader: 1995 - 2005)

Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont 		Howard Dean, born November 17, 1947 in New York, former Governor of Vermont. Howard Dean is the current DNC Chairman, and was a potential candidate for the nomination in 2004. Dean said if he won the Chair for the DNC run, he would not run for president again and has repeated this often since. [24]
  • Governor of Vermont: 1991 - 2003

Senator Russ Feingold 		Russ Feingold, born March 2 1953 in Wisconsin, U.S. Senator from that state. Announced to a meeting of the Tiger Bay Club of Volusia County, Florida, in January 2005 that he was considering a run for the nomination, and would decide after "going around the country" to campaign for fellow Democrats running for other offices.[28] His Federal Leadership PAC is the Progressive Patriots Fund,[29] which will be financing his travels around the country [25]. In early March 2005, his Senate campaign registered the domain name for the website www.russfeingold08.com as well as the .org and .net versions.[30] Later that month, he took a listening trip to Alabama. [26] In early April of 2005, Feingold announced that he would be divorcing his second wife, a move which some analysts believe could diminish his chances of winning the presidential nomination. On August 17, 2005, Feingold became the first U.S. Senator to publicly support a firm date for withdrawal from the Iraq War,[31] suggesting December 31, 2006 as a reasonable date. Although Feingold's stance was generally criticized by other Democratic senators, including Biden and Clinton, his support in nonscientific internet polls of party activists jumped. In December 2005 when he led the Senate campaign against the renewal of the Patriot Act his support among party activists further intensified. Following the overwhelming resonance for his anti-war and bi-partisan rule of law positions in the 2006 Congressional elections, Feingold commented that the legislative victory "pushes me in both directions," and "he could make a decision on a presidential run before the end of the year" [32]. However, on November 12th, 2006, Feingold ruled out a 2008 presidential candidacy [27], but has stated he is willing to consider an offer from the eventual nominee for the vice-presidency [33]. Feingold has stated that his first choice for president in 2008 would be someone who voted against the war in Iraq, and failing that his second choice would be someone who wasn't in Congress but spoke out against the war at the time. He also said he would "be happy" if Barack Obama or Al Gore ran, but stated he was not offering an endorsement. [34]
  • Senator from Wisconsin: 1993 - Present

Mark Warner, former Governor of Virginia 		Mark Warner, born December 15 1954 in Indiana, former Governor of Virginia. Time Magazine rated him in November 2005 as one of America's top 5 governors and Governing magazine said Virginia was the best governed state in the Nation under Warner's direction. Warner's profile increased due to his help in securing Tim Kaine's election to succeed him, seen widely as a rare victory for Democrats in a majority-Republican state. There is also a strong Draft Mark Warner for President movement, and DemStore.com has already started printing Draft Warner campaign pins and bumper stickers. On October 12, 2006, Warner unequivocally stated that he will not seek the 2008 Democratic nomination, and stated that he wanted to spend more time with his family. After his statement, he was complimented on his efforts by Sens. John Kerry and Evan Bayh. It is speculated that he will still play a strong role in the 2008 election, with his fund-raising capabilities, and his Forward Together PAC. His record may suggest that he would be a frontrunner for the Vice-Presidential nomination, and at least one person close to the former governor has acknowledged that he may spend the next year quietly campaigning for the spot[35]
  • Governor of Virginia: 2002 - 2006

References

  1. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/17/AR2006041701297.html
  2. ^ http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0413-11.htm
  3. ^ http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00423202/
  4. ^ http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051211/NEWS09/512110369/1001/NEWS11
  5. ^ http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-00111845.html
  6. ^ http://www.heartlandpac.org/
  7. ^ http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-vilsack-president,0,5664233.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines
  8. ^ http://www.uniteourstates.com
  9. ^ http://www.joebiden.com
  10. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/nataffdaily/story/9518235/biden_in_gore_out?rnd=1143406767000&has-player=true
  11. ^ http://www.allamericapac.com/
  12. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15993662/
  13. ^ http://www.draftwesleyclark.com/
  14. ^ http://www.hillpac.com
  15. ^ http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarycarlson0528.artmay28,0,4676350.story?coll=hc-headlines-commentary
  16. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1494-2005Feb5.html
  17. ^ http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=71976
  18. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61861-2005Mar1.html
  19. ^ Lynne Sweet, Draft Obama 2008 Movement Launched: Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes urges Sen. Barack Obama to run for president in 2008, Chicago Sun-Times, September 14, 2006
  20. ^ Anne E. Kornblut, For This Red Meat Crowd, Obama's '08 Choice Is Clear, New York Times, September 18, 2006
  21. ^ Joe Klein, The Democrats' fresh face, CNN.com, October 15, 2006
  22. ^ AP, Obama considering '08 run for president, Los Angeles Times, Octber 22, 2006
  23. ^ http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/powerplays/archives/001816.php
  24. ^ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/primaries/pages/candidates/1773/index.html
  25. ^ http://s8.invisionfree.com/Al_Gore_Support/index.php?showtopic=1980&view=findpost&p=6811251
  26. ^ http://s8.invisionfree.com/Al_Gore_Support/index.php?showtopic=1901&view=findpost&p=6640243
  27. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1562915,00.html
  28. ^ http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/03WVolWEST08POL012905.htm
  29. ^ http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com
  30. ^ http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/features/index.php?ntid=32422&ntpid=1
  31. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701778.html
  32. ^ http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15635494/
  33. ^ [1]
  34. ^ [2]
  35. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701708_2.html

See also

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