Election 2004
Democratic Party
Carol Moseley Braun
Illinois
[No birth time known. Chart set for 12 Noon.]
 Moseley Braun (D-IL) announced in January 2003 her intent to launch an exploratory effort for the 2004 Presidential contest -- and, in so doing, withdrew from the 2004 rematch she had been planning to regain her former Senate seat. Braun says her campaign is a legitimate effort to "advance the cause of women in higher office, paving the way for a woman president." Former Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile was reportedly one of those who urged her to enter the Presidential race -- in part, purportedly, for the purpose of undermining Al Sharpton's potential support among black primary voters. Brazile also added: "The Democratic Party is running on the same tank of gas we had in 1992. We have not broadened the electorate. She could excite the Democratic base in ways that it has not been excited." Her most vocal concern is her strong opposition to the war against Iraq. Braun -- the first black female to ever serve in the US Senate -- was defeated for re-election in 1998 amid a swirl of controversy related to illegal campaign finance allegations from her 1992 campaign. She was never charged with any wrongdoing, and later served as US Ambassador to New Zealand in 1999-2001. Braun also was criticized during her tenure in the Senate for her warm embrace of several of the most brutal African dictatorships -- particulary the Nigerian Regime. As a Senator, Braun built a solid liberal voting record. She sponsored several progressive education and civil rights bills and was a staunch advocate for stricter gun control laws. Braun -- an attorney -- served for ten years as a State Representative and then for four years as Cook County Recorder of Deeds before being elected to the US Senate in a major 1992 upset victory in the primary over the two-term incumbent. Braun reported raising an anemic $72,000 as of the close of the March 31, 2003 federal reporting period -- an insignificant amount by any measure. Braun said in May 2003 that she may have to "fold my tent" and exit the race if fundraising did not soon improve, as she needed much more funds to be able to wage a viable primary campaign. She set a September deadline for making that decision. Bio notes courtesy of Politics1.com
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