| 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. |
| Photos | Other Parties | Return to Main Page |
| National Committees | . |
| Republican National Committee
Chairman Ed Gillespie > Co-chair Ann Wagner (MO) .................................................................finances |
Democratic National Committee
Chairman Terry McAuliffe > ................................................................finances |
| Republican Governors Association
Chairman Bob Taft (OH) Vice Chairman Kenny Guinn (NV) |
Democratic Governors Association
Chairman Tom Vilsack (IA) Vice Chairman Bill Richardson (NM) |
| National Republican Congressional Committee
Chairman Tom Reynolds (NY-26) ...........................................................contribs | expends |
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Chairman Robert Matsui (CA-5) ................................................................contribs| expends |
| National Republican Senatorial
Committee
Chairman George Allen (VA) ................................................................finances |
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Chairman Jon Corzine (NJ) ................................................................finances |
| Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
Chairman Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr (MD) |
|
| State Parties | . |
| Links to Republican State Parties | Link to Democratic State Parties |
| Allied Organizations | . |
| National Federation of Republican Women
President - Dianne Thompson (TX) ...from Jan. 1, 2004 |
|
| Republican National Hispanic Assembly | |
| National Republican Legislators Association | |
| Republican Mayors and Local Officials
President - Mayor Patrick McCrory |
National Conference of Democratic Mayors |
| National Conference of Republican County
Officials
President - Marilyn Byers |
|
| Young Republican National Federation
Chair - Michael Mack Exec. Dir. - April Canter |
Young Democrats of America
President - Chris Gallaway (KS) 2003-2005 |
| College Republican National
Committee
Co-Chair - Corinne Schwarz Exec. Dir. Michael Krueger |
College Democrats of
America
President - Ashley Bell (GA), from Jan. 2002 |
| Republicans Abroad | Democrats Abroad |
| Nat'l Fed. of the Grand
Order of Pachyderm Clubs, Inc.
President - Joe Briggs |
|
| National Republican Heritage Groups Council | |
| Republican Attorneys General Association | |
| Partisan Groups | . |
| Republican Liberty Caucus
represents the G.O.P's libertarian tradition |
Americans Coming Together
Section 527 organization mobilizing people to register and vote in 17 battleground states |
| Ripon Society
to promote moderate Republican principles |
The Media
Fund
Section 527 media buying organization |
| Republican Leadership Council
emphasizes economic issues and inclusiveness over a narrow moral agenda |
Grassroots
Democrats
Section 527 organization focused on funding state party operations |
| National Federation of Republican Assemblies
conservative Republican group |
Democratic Leadership Council
New Democrats |
| Republican
Main Street Partnership
a voice for centrist Republicans |
New Democrat Network
the political action arm of the New Democrat movement |
| GOPAC
Republican training and education |
Americans for Democratic Action
independent liberal political organization |
| Republican National Lawyers Association | National Committee for an
Effective Congress
supports progressive candidates |
| 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 |
| Grassroots
Campaigns
face-to-face canvassing and fundraising |
|
| Republican Jewish Coalition
voice of Jewish Republicans |
National Jewish Democratic
Council
promoting Jewish values in the Democratic Party |
| Log Cabin Republicans
gay and lesbian Republican organization |
National Stonewall Democrats
federation which links clubs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats |
| The WISH List
raises funds for Republican pro-choice women candidates |
EMILY's List
electing pro-choice Democratic women candidates |
| Republican National Coalition
for Life
works to ensure adoption of the pro-life plank in the Republican platform |
Democrats for
Life of America
elect pro-life Democrats to office and support pro-life Democrats |
| Republicans for Choice
(seeks to remove the anti-choice plank in the Republican platform |
2020 Democrats
develop a vision that extends beyond the priorities of the immediate election cycle |
| 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 |
|
| Council of Republicans for Environmental
Advocacy
promoting fair, community-based solutions to environmental challenges |
|
| Teen Age Republicans | |
| National Assembly of Irish American Republicans | Irish American Democrats |
| International Republican Institute | National Democratic Institute for Int'l Affairs |
| House | . |
| Speaker - Denny Hastert (IL)* | Minority Leader - Nancy Pelosi (CA)* |
| Majority Leader - Tom DeLay (TX)* | Minority Whip - Steny H. Hoyer (MD)* |
| Majority Whip - Roy Blunt (MO)* | Democratic Caucus
Chairman - Robert Menendez (NJ) Vice Chair - James Clyburn (SC) |
| Republican Conference Chair - Deborah Pryce (OH)* | Assistant to the Democratic Leader - John Spratt (SC) |
| Chair, Nat'l Rep. Cong. Comm. - Thomas M. Reynolds (NY) | Chair, Dem. Congr. Campaign Comm. - Robert Matsui (CA) |
| Republican Conference Secretary - John T. Doolittle (CA) | |
| Republican Policy Comm. Chair - Chris Cox (CA)* | |
| Progressive Caucus | |
| Blue Dog Coalition | |
| Senate | .> |
| Majority Leader - Bill Frist (TN) | Minority Leader - Tom Daschle (SD)* |
| Asst. Majority Ldr/Majority Whip - Mitch McConnell (KY) | Minority Whip - Harry Reid (NV) |
| Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - Rick Santorum (PA)* | Sec. of the Conference - Barbara Mikulski (MD) |
| Vice Chair, Senate Rep. Conference - Kay Bailey Hutchison | Chief Deputy Whip - John Breaux (LA) |
| Chair, Rep. Policy Comm. - John Kyl (AZ)* | Policy Committee - Byron
Dorgan (ND)
Steering and Coordination Committee - Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) Tech. and Comms. Committee - Jay Rockefeller (WV) |
| Chair, Nat'l Rep. Sen. Comm. - George Allen (VA) | Assistant Floor Leader - Richard Durbin (IL) |
| Chair, Dem. Sen. Campaign Comm. - Jon Corzine (NJ) | |
| . | . |
| *leadership page |
| In a political landscape dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, third or minor parties have had trouble getting rooted. (See Ballot Access News). Three third parties were working to build a national presence and running candidates in various states: Greens, Libertarian Party, and Constitution Party (formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party). The Reform Party was in more of a survival mode although there were a number of candidates running. The Natural Law Party closed its national headquarters in April 2004. |
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).
And
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