Democratic National Committee (DNC)

About the Democratic National Committee (DNC)

The Democratic National Committee (DNC, or DNC Service Corporation) is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party, is the party of presidential candidate Barack Obama and other noteworthy politicians and leaders like Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton. The DNC has been an integral part of the US political landscape since it's inception at the 1848 Democratic National Convention. The Democratic National Committee provides national leadership for the Democratic Party of the United States, plans the Democratic National Convention, promotes candidates from the local to the national level, sets and promotes the party platform, and coordinates fund-raising and election strategy. It also encourages citizens to write letters to the editors of local newspapers, register to vote, contribute funds to the cause, and volunteer for Democratic campaigns.

The DNC is the longest running political organization in the world. Its main counterpart is the Republican National Committee.

Barack Obama - Democratic Presidential Nominee

"Change we can believe in"

Barack Obama is the junior United States Senator from Illinois. He is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election. He is the first African American to be a major party's presumptive nominee for President of the United States.

A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer and practiced as a civil rights attorney before serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. From 1992 to 2004, he also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in January 2003. After winning a landslide primary victory in March 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He was elected to the Senate in November 2004 with 70% of the vote.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he cosponsored legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the current 110th Congress, he has sponsored legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel. Since announcing his presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the war in Iraq, increasing energy independence, decreasing the influence of lobbyists, and promoting universal health care as top national priorities.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

As Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Howard Dean is making the Democratic Party competitive in every race, in every district, in every state and territory, while integrating national and state party operations and standing up for Democrats' core values. His election to this post on February 12, 2005 is the most recent chapter in a life dedicated to shaping the future of the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Vision

The Democratic Party is committed to keeping our nation safe and expanding opportunity for every American. That commitment is reflected in an agenda that emphasizes the security of our nation, strong economic growth, affordable health care for all Americans, retirement security, honest government, and civil rights.

2008-08-04