2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries

The U.S. Democratic Party Presidential Primary, 2004 will decide which pair of candidates represent the Democrats in the 2004 Presidential election. Given the extreme unlikelihood of either a serious challenge to incumbent candidate George W. Bush in the Republican primary, or a third party candidate winning a signficant portion of the vote in the general election, the Democratic primary will receive the most media coverage of any 2004 Presidential primary.

Candidates

• Filed
  • Richard Gephardt, former U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader, Representative from Missouri
  • John Kerry, Senator from Massachusetts
  • Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio
  • Carol Moseley Braun, former Senator from Illinois
  • Al Sharpton, Reverend from New York
• Announced
  • Wesley Clark, retired General and former NATO commander
  • Howard Dean, former Governor from Vermont
  • John Edwards, Senator from North Carolina
  • Joseph Lieberman, Senator from Connecticut
  • Lyndon LaRouche
• Dropped out
  • Bob Graham, Senator from Florida
• Declined
  • Al Gore, Vice President of the United States (1993-2001), Democratic Presidential candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 2000
  • Hillary Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton.

Issues

Abortion

Given that feminists are one of the Democratic party's core constituencies, it is no surprise that nearly all the Democratic presidential candidates are strongly pro-abortion rights. The only exception is Dennis Kucinich, who though now an abortion rights supporter [1] , had had an anti-abortion rights (or "pro-life") voting record during his career as a Congressman.

Timeline

• May 31, 2002 - Vermont Governor Howard Dean forms a presidential exploratory committee.
• December 1, 2002 - John Kerry, Senator from Massachusetts announces his plans to form an exploratory committee for a possible 2004 Presidential run on NBC's Meet The Press. Kerry anticipates a formal announcement "down the road some months".
• December 16, 2002 - Former Vice President and 2000 Presidential candidate Al Gore announces on the CBS program 60 Minutes that he will not seek election to the Presidency in 2004. Gore had recently wrapped up a nationwide book tour and had been widely expected to run. Senator Joseph Lieberman, Gore's 2000 Vice Presidential running mate, had previously promised not to run should Gore seek their party's nomination.
• January 2, 2003 - Senator John Edwards of North Carolina announces his intention to run for the Democratic nomination.
• January 4, 2003 - Richard Gephardt, the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader, announces his intention to run for the Democratic nomination.
• January 5, 2003 - Reverend Al Sharpton of New York announces his bid to run for President.
• January 7, 2003 - Tom Daschle, the United States Senate Minority Leader, announces that he will not run for President in 2004. Daschle had been widely expected to run.
• January 13, 2003 - Senator Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut announces his candidacy.
• February 18, 2003 - Carol Moseley Braun, former Senator from Illinois, announces her intention to run for the Democratic nomination.
• February 19, 2003 - Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio, files papers to form an exploratory committee for a presidential run.
• February 27, 2003 - Senator Bob Graham of Florida announced his candidacy.
• March 3, 2003 Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut announces that he will not run for the 2004 Democratic party presidential nomination.
• May 3, 2003 - Democrats meet at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina in the first formal debate between the nine challengers for the 2004 Democratic party presidential nomination. The candidates disagree on the war against Iraq, health insurance, and even President Bush's tax cuts, but unite in criticizing Bush's handling of the economy.
• May 6, 2003 - Gary Hart, former Senator from Colorado, announces he will not seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2004.
• June 17, 2003 - Howard Dean airs the first television advertising of the 2004 campaign. The two week ad campaign will cost more than $300,000.
• June 23, 2003 - After already indicating his intentions, Howard Dean formally announces that he is running for President.
• June 24, 2003 - Liberal advocacy website MoveOn holds the first ever online Democratic "primary," which lasts just over 48 hours. It is an unofficial and non-binding affair, but with important symbolic and financial value. Of 317,647 votes, Howard Dean receives 44%, Dennis Kucinich 24%, and John Kerry 16%. Had any candidate received 50% of the vote, the candidate would have received MoveOn's endorsement and financial support. Instead, MoveOn supports all the candidates. [2]
• August 11, 2003 - Delaware Senator Joseph Biden announces he will not seek the Democratic nomination, saying his campaign would be "a long shot" and that he could wield the most influence in the Senate.
• September 17, 2003 - retired General Wesley Clark announces his candidacy.
• October 6, 2003 - Bob Graham announces on Larry King Live that he is ending his presidential campaign.

External links and references

• The New Republic Online: The TNR Primary

News articles

• No Democratic candidate gets 50 percent in online primary - Associated Press, June 27, 2003
• Debate Bares Democrats' Great Divide - Washington Post, May 5, 2003
• Democrats discuss Iraq early in debate - Associated Press, May 4, 2003