Political Parties-2006

Political parties frame the debate, recruit candidates, and raise money. The Democratic and Republican parties dominate American politics and are organized at the national, state, and local levels. Other parties are struggling to gain a foothold. Over the past decade in many states, an increasing percentage of the
electorate has chosen to remain unaffiliated.

Other Parties | Return to Main Page

2006 Edition
July 2, 2006 [for 2005 edition >] Parties graphic | Dem. graphic | Rep. graphic | 2005 finances

National Committees	.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman >>, 1 Co-chair Jo Ann Davidson (OH) .................................................................finances	Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean >> (selection) ................................................................finances
Republican Governors Association Chairman Mitt Romney (MA) >> Vice Chairman Sonny Perdue (GA)	Democratic Governors' Association Chairman Bill Richardson (NM) >>
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (NY-26) >> ...........................................................contribs \| expends	Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (IL-5) >> ................................................................contribs \| expends
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Elizabeth Dole (NC) >> ................................................................finances	Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles E. Schumer (NY) >> ................................................................finances

State Parties	.
Links to Republican State Parties Republicans Abroad	Link to Democratic State Parties Democrats Abroad

Allied Organizations	.
Republican State Leadership Committee Section 527 organization: RLCC, RAGA, RLGA Republican Mayors and Local Officials President - Mayor Patrick McCrory National Conference of Republican County Officials President - Marilyn Byers (Loudonville, OH) 2004-05 National Federation of Republican Women President - Dianne Thompson (TX) ...from Jan. 1, '04; Beverly Davis (UT) ...from Jan. 1, '06 College Republican National Committee Chairman - Paul Gourley (SD) (elected June 2005) Young Republican National Federation Chair - Nicolee Ambrose (MD) Republican National Hispanic Assembly Chairman - Pedro Celis (WA) (elected June 2005); Exec. Dir. - Bettina Inclán National Black Republican Association Chair - Frances Rice Nat'l Fed. of the Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs, Inc. President - Joe Briggs (Great Falls, MT) Republican National Lawyers Association Chairman - Robert J. Horn (Patton Boggs LLP); Exec. Dir. - Michael B. Thielen International Republican Institute President - Lorne Craner (since August 2, 2004)	Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chair - Colorado Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald (since Dec. 2004) National Conference of Democratic Mayors Chairman - Douglas Palmer (Trenton, NJ) National Democratic County Officials President - Ron Sims National Federation of Democratic Women President - Barbara Mansfield (LA) College Democrats of America President - Grant Woodard (IA) (elected 2004, re-elected 2005) Young Democrats of America President - Chris Gallaway (KS) 2003-2005 Democratic GAIN Grassroots Action Institute and Network--training, recruitment, and network Grassroots Democrats Section 527 organization focused on funding state party operations National Democratic Institute for Int'l Affairs President - Kenneth Wollack (since March 1993)

Ideas and Ideology	.
National Federation of Republican Assemblies conservative Republican group. President - Richard Engle Ripon Society to promote moderate Republican principles. Republican Main Street Partnership a voice for centrist Republicans. President - Congressman Mike Castle; Exec. Dir. - Sarah Chamberlain Resnick Bull Moose Republicans promoting inclusion in the Republican Party and American politics. Four Pillars: Civic Responsibility, Government Accountability, Economic Opportunity, and Support for New Americans. Republican Liberty Caucus represents the G.O.P's libertarian tradition. Chairman - William Westmiller former Republican Leadership Council emphasizes economic issues and inclusiveness over a narrow moral agenda	Democratic Leadership Council New Democrats. Founder and CEO - Al From; President - Bruce Reed New Democrat Network the political action arm of the New Democrat movement. President and Founder - Simon Rosenberg Americans for Democratic Action independent liberal political organization. President - Jim McDermott; Nat'l Director - Amy Isaacs Progressive Democrats of America to work within the general framework of the Democratic Party and with sister organizations to create a new, democratic, grassroots-based, nationally federated organization. Nat'l Director - Tim Carpenter 2020 Democrats develop a vision that extends beyond the priorities of the immediate election cycle. Co-Directors - Josh Green and Jorge Miranda Democratic Freedom Caucus Democracy Alliance

Constituencies	.
Republican Jewish Coalition voice of Jewish Republicans. Chairman - Sam Fox; Exec. Dir. - Matthew Brooks Log Cabin Republicans organization of Republicans who support fairness, freedom, and equality for gay and lesbian Americans. President - Patrick C. Guerriero The WISH List raises funds for Republican pro-choice women candidates. President - Pat Carpenter Republican National Coalition for Life works to ensure adoption of the pro-life plank in the Republican platform. Exec. Dir. - Colleen Parro Republicans for Choice PAC seeks to remove the anti-choice plank in the Republican platform. Founder and Chairman - Ann E.W. Stone Republican Majority for Choice (formerly Republican Pro-Choice Coalition) seeks to get abortion out of politics. Exec. Dir. - Kellie Rose Ferguson Republicans for Environmental Protection environmental conscience of the GOP. President - Martha Marks (NM) Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy promoting fair, community-based solutions to environmental challenges. President - Italia Federici National Assembly of Irish American Republicans Indian American Republican Council	National Jewish Democratic Council promoting Jewish values in the Democratic Party. Exec. Dir. - Ira Forman National Stonewall Democrats federation which links clubs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats. Exec. Dir. - Eric Stern EMILY's List electing pro-choice Democratic women candidates. President - Ellen R. Malcolm Democrats for Life of America elect pro-life Democrats to office and support pro-life Democrats. President - Janet Robert; Exec. Dir. - Kristen Day Indigenous Democratic Network dedicated to electing Native American men and women to office across America. President - Kalyn Free (OK) Irish American Democrats a Political Action Committee providing support to Democratic candidates who promote peace, justice and prosperity in Ireland. Chair - Stella O'Leary; President - Matt Gorman Asian American Action Fund a Democratic political action committee whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on every level of local, state and federal government in America. Chair and Co-Founder - Yeni Wong; Exec. Dir. - Irene Bueno Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council

More	.
GOPAC Republican training and education	21st Century Democrats (formerly Democrats 2000) recruiting and electing progressive candidates
Club for Growth elect candidates who support the Reagan vision of limited government and lower taxes.	Progressive Majority electing progressives at the federal and state levels
Republican Youth Majority	National Committee for an Effective Congress supports progressive candidates
Teen Age Republicans	Grassroots Campaigns face-to-face canvassing and fundraising
	Campaign for a National Majority
	Democrats for America's Future
	Blue Dog PAC

House	.
Speaker - Denny Hastert (IL)* Majority Leader - John Boehner (OH) Elected Feb. 2, 2006. (Tom DeLay (TX-22) stepped aside temporarily on Sept. 28, 2005 and permanently on Jan. 7, 2006. Majority Whip Roy Blunt served as Majority leader in the interim). Majority Whip - Roy Blunt (MO)* . Deputy Whip - Eric Cantor (VA) Chair, Republican Conference - Deborah Pryce (OH)* Vice Chair - Jack Kingston (GA) Secretary, Republican Conference - J ohn T. Doolittle (CA)* Chair, Nat'l Rep. Cong. Comm. - Thomas M. Reynolds (NY) Chair, Republican Policy Comm. - John Shadegg (AZ)* groupings Republican Study Committee	House Democrats Minority Leader - Nancy Pelosi (CA)* Minority Whip - Steny H. Hoyer (MD)* Democratic Caucus Chairman - James Clyburn (SC) Vice Chair - John Larson (CT) Assistant to the Democratic Leader - John Spratt (SC) Chair, Dem. Congr. Campaign Comm. - Rahm Emanuel (IL) Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chair - Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT) Co-Chair - Rep. George Miller (CA) groupings Progressive Caucus Blue Dog Coalition

Senate	.>
Majority Leader - Bill Frist (TN)* Asst. Majority Ldr/Majority Whip - Mitch McConnell (KY) Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - Rick Santorum (PA)* Vice Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - Kay Bailey Hutchison Chair, Rep. Policy Comm. - John Kyl (AZ)* Chair, Nat'l Rep. Sen. Comm. - Elizabeth Dole (NC)	Minority Leader - Harry Reid (NV)* Assistant Democratic Leader - Dick Durbin (IL) Sec. of the Conference - Debbie Stabenow (MI) Chair, Dem. Sen. Campaign Comm. - Charles E. Schumer (NY) Chair, Dem. Policy Committee - Byron Dorgan (ND)* Chair, Steering and Outreach Committee - Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)* Assistant Floor Leader - Patty Murray (WA) Chair of Ranking Member Outreach - Paul S. Sarbanes (MD) Vice Chair of Ranking Member Outreach - Jeff Bingaman (NM) Chair of Rural Outreach - Blanche L. Lincoln (AR) Chief Deputy Whip - Barbara Boxer (CA) Deputy Whips - Thomas R. Carper (DE), Bill Nelson (FL), Russell D. Feingold (WI)

.	.
	*leadership page

More Parties

In a political landscape dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, third or minor parties have had great trouble getting rooted. (See Ballot Access News and Third Party Watch). Three major third parties are working to build a national presence and are running candidates in various states: the Greens, the Libertarian Party, and the Constitution Party (formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party). The Reform Party, which grew out of Ross Perot's campaigns, has fragmented. A fifth party, The Natural Law Party, closed its national headquarters in April 2004.

Green Party of the United States | Greens/Green Party USA
Libertarian Party
Constitution Party (formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party)
Reform Party | American Reform Party | America First Party

Yet More Parties
In addition, there are a number of other small national parties operating at the fringes:
Communist Party U.S.A.
Labor Party
New Party
Socialist Party USA
Workers World Party

As Noted Above
Over the past decade in many states, an increasing percentage of the electorate has chosen to remain unaffiliated (ex.1, ex.2).

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Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action