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2004 Presidential Election updated 3/18/04For up to the minute tracking of the elections, check out CNN.com Democrats in the Running | Republicans | Independents | Democrats out of the Running John Kerry, a decorated Vietnam war veteran, has attracted national attention as one of the organizers of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Earning his law degree in 1976, Kerry worked as a prosecutor and then district attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. In 1984, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and now he runs for President. He has been outspoken on energy security and campaign finance reform. As of March 18, John Kerry has enough delegate votes to gain the Democratic nomination. Dennis Kucinich is the youngest person ever elected to lead a major American city. At age 31, he was elected Mayor of Cleveland facing local pressure to privatize the electric system. Refusing to do so, he lost his re-election bid and was unsuccessful in his campaigns for the US House in 1972, 1988, and 1992. In 1995, he ran successfully for the Ohio State Senate -- a year later ran and was elected to the House. Three fully served terms later, he is still in the House of Representatives. Al Sharpton, also known as Reverend Al Sharpton, became an ordained minister at the age of nine. His nonprofit organization, the National Action Network, gives him a forum to lead protest and speak out on civil and human rights issues. He entered into politics in 1978 when he ran for NY State Senate. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992 and 1994 and for mayor of NYC in 1997.
George Bush, the current President of the United States, was born in Connecticut and raised in Texas. His political campaign against Gore in 2000 was the closest presidential elections ever. As September 11, 2001 saw his focus shift on the fight against terrorism, Bush hasn't given up on his conservative ideologies as is seen by his effort on banning abortion. Independents Carol Moseley Braun has had lot of firsts in her political career. In 1992, she was the first female senator to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois. She was also the first female African-American senator, and the first African-American Democratic senator. In 1998, President Clinton named her special consultant to the Department of Education dealing with school construction. She was later nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Ambassador to New Zealand. Twelve years after running for senate, we find Carol Moseley Braun running for President. Right before the Iowa Caucuses, Ms. Braun decided to bow out of the presidential candidate race. Richard Gephardt started his career in politics serving on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 1971. He went on to be elected House Democratic Caucus chair in 1984, and became Majority Leader in 1989. With the Republican takeover in 1994, Gephardt was elected Minority Leader and led the caucus until 2002 when he stepped down and focused on running for president. After the results of the recent Iowa caucuses, Gephardt decided to back down from running for the position. Joseph Lieberman was nicknamed "the Senator" in college. At 28, he won a seat in the state senate, moving up to the Majority Leader, state attorney general, and the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket when he was the Democratic nominee for vice president. His issues include supporting business, strong defense, and is against violence in entertainment. After the primaries in Massachusetts, Lieberman stepped out of the race for democratic nomination. Wesley Clark is running on his military experience with a platfrom strong on national security. Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, clark attended the US Military Academy at West Point, graduating first in his class in 1966. From Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, he went on to receive his Master's Degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. His military career has gained him numerous awards, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Howard Dean received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1978, opening his own medical practice in 1981. His political experience began when he volunteered to work on Jimmy Carter's re-election campaign and served as a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. He went on to serve as the governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003. Dean's primary issue has been health care. John Edwards has made his mark, and fortune, as a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina. Going upon his image as an advocate for the average citizen, Edwards easily won the 1998 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate and went on to defeat the incumbent senator. A patient's bill of rights, defense and foreign policy credentials are his main issues.
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