Political Parties-2007-08

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

2007-08 Edition
[Previous editions: 2006, 2005, 2004] Parties graphic | Dem. graphic | Rep. graphic

National Committees	.
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan >> Co-chair Jo Ann Davidson (OH) .................................................................finances	Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean >> ................................................................finances
Republican Governors Association Chairman Rick Perry (TX) >>	Democratic Governors' Association Chairman Joe Manchin III (WV) >>
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (OK-4) >> ...........................................................contribs \| expends	Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8) >> ................................................................contribs \| expends
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (NV) >> ................................................................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

Allied Organizations	.
Republican State Leadership Committee Section 527 organization: RLCC, RAGA, RLGA Republican Mayors and Local Officials National Conference of Republican County Officials National Federation of Republican Women College Republican National Committee Young Republican National Federation Republican National Hispanic Assembly National Black Republican Association Nat'l Fed. of the Grand Order of Pachyderm Clubs, Inc. Republican National Lawyers Association International Republican Institute	Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Conference of Democratic Mayors National Democratic County Officials National Federation of Democratic Women College Democrats of America Young Democrats of America 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

Ideas and Ideology	.
National Federation of Republican Assemblies conservative Republican group. Ripon Society to promote moderate Republican principles. Republican Main Street Partnership a voice for centrist Republicans. Republican Liberty Caucus represents the G.O.P's libertarian tradition.	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. 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. 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 see article

Constituencies	.
Republican Jewish Coalition voice of Jewish Republicans. Log Cabin Republicans organization of Republicans who support fairness, freedom, and equality for gay and lesbian Americans. The WISH List raises funds for Republican pro-choice women candidates. Republican National Coalition for Life works to ensure adoption of the pro-life plank in the Republican platform. Republicans for Choice PAC seeks to remove the anti-choice plank in the Republican platform. Republican Majority for Choice (formerly Republican Pro-Choice Coalition) seeks to get abortion out of politics. Republicans for Environmental Protection environmental conscience of the GOP. Indian American Republican Council the only national organization in America representing Indian American Republicans. National Assembly of Irish American Republicans Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy	National Jewish Democratic Council promoting Jewish values in the Democratic Party. National Stonewall Democrats federation which links clubs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats. EMILY's List electing pro-choice Democratic women candidates. Democrats for Life of America elect pro-life Democrats to office and support pro-life Democrats. Indigenous Democratic Network dedicated to electing Native American men and women to office across America. Irish American Democrats a Political Action Committee providing support to Democratic candidates who promote peace, justice and prosperity in Ireland. 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. 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	Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. face-to-face canvassing and fundraising
Teen Age Republicans	National Committee for an Effective Congress supports progressive candidates
National Association of Republican Campaign Professionals	The Atlas Project "provides clients with customized, in-depth strategic roadmaps to victory in 15 battleground states.... In addition, the Atlas Project has been tasked with building the institutional memory of the Democratic Party. The Atlas Project has collected, catalogued, and analyzed campaign plans, budgets, polls and other key documents gathered from political operatives and institutions around the country."
	Catalist "To help progressive organizations realize measurable increases in civic participation and electoral success by building and operating a robust national voter database of every voting-age American; by offering tools and expertise that allow clients to use that data to improve fundraising, organizing and communications; and by updating and refining that data on a continuous basis."
	Campaign for a National Majority
	Democrats for America's Future
	Blue Dog PAC
	ActBlue The online clearinghouse for Democratic action.
House	.
Minority Leader - John Boehner (OH) Minority Whip - Roy Blunt (MO)* . Chair, Republican Conference - Rep. Adam Putnam (FL)* Chair, Republican Policy Committee - Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI)* Conference Vice-Chair - Rep. Kay Granger (TX) Conference Secretary - Rep. John Carter (TX) NRCC Chairman - Rep. Tom Cole (OK) groupings Republican Study Committee	House Democrats Speaker - Nancy Pelosi (CA)* Majority Leader - Steny H. Hoyer (MD)* Majority Whip - James Clyburn (SC) Democratic Caucus Chairman - Rahm Emanuel (IL) Vice Chair - John Larson (CT) Assistant to the Democratic Leader - John Spratt (SC) Chair, Dem. Congr. Campaign Comm. - Chris Van Hollen (MD) Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chair - Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT) Co-Chair - Rep. George Miller (CA) groupings Progressive Caucus Blue Dog Coalition

Senate	.>
Minority Leader - Mitch McConnell (KY)* Minority Whip - Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - John Kyl (AZ)* Vice Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - John Cornyn (TX) Chair, Rep. Policy Comm. - Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)* Chair, Nat'l Rep. Sen. Comm. - John Ensign (NV)	Majority Leader - Harry Reid (NV)* President Pro Tem - Robert Byrd (WV) Assistant Democratic Leader - Dick Durbin (IL) Vice Chair of the Conference - Charles E. Schumer (NY) Sec. of the Conference - Patty Murray (WA) Chair, Dem. Sen. Campaign Comm. - Charles E. Schumer (NY) Chair, Dem. Policy Committee - Byron Dorgan (ND)* Chair, Steering and Outreach Committee - Debbie Stabenow (MI)* Chair of Committee Outreach - Jeff Bingaman (NM) Vice Chair of Ranking Member Outreach - Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY 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).

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, 2007, 2008 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action