Democratic Party

Democratic Party
Basic facts
Location:	Washington, D.C.
Type:	Democratic
Top official:	Rita Hart
Year founded:	1828
Website:	Official website

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The party's main counterpart is the Republican Party. The modern Democratic Party is considered to be the older of the nation's two major political parties. The party's principal governing organization is the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which is responsible for overseeing the process of writing and promoting the party platform every four years and providing national leadership surrounding campaign, fundraising, political activity and election strategy.

The party generally supports a left-leaning, liberal platform on the American political spectrum with an emphasis on the role of the federal government in promoting social and economic welfare.

Party members typically but do not always or uniformly favor the following policy positions. All positions are taken from the Democratic Party's 2016 platform:

• "Americans should be able to access public coverage through a public option, and those over 55 should be able to opt in to Medicare";
• "Ensure those at the top contribute to our country’s future by establishing a multimillionaire surtax to ensure millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share";
• "Every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion";
• "Slash carbon pollution and protect clean air at home, lead the fight against climate change around the world";
• "Expand and strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in our current laws concerning firearms";
• "We will seek to safeguard vulnerable minorities, including LGBT people and people with disabilities."

Background

History

Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party trace their roots to the Democratic-Republican Party, which was founded in 1792 in opposition to George Washington's Federalist Party. Thomas Jefferson was an early leader of the Democratic-Republicans and the party's first president. Support for the Federalist Party waned following the War of 1812, ushering in a period of uncontested Democratic-Republican rule.

After the presidential election of 1824 pit four Democratic-Republican candidates against one another, the party split as members coalesced around winner John Quincy Adams or runner-up Andrew Jackson. The former group established the short-lived National Republican Party, a forerunner to the Whig Party and, eventually, the modern Republican Party. The latter group became known as Jacksonian Democrats before shortening their name to the Democratic Party, formally adopting the title in 1844.

The Democratic Party is represented by the donkey, dating to Adams supporters calling Andrew Jackson a "jackass" in the 1828 presidential election. Jackson embraced the name, even including a donkey on campaign posters. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast began using the donkey to represent the Democratic Party as a whole in the 1870s.

In the 1840s and 1850s, the Democratic Party experienced conflict over the question of extending slavery to the Western territories. The unresolved dispute caused the party to split in the 1860 presidential election. The party's fracture set the stage for the election of the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln. Bitterness over the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction motivated Southern states to primarily support the Democratic Party for the next 100 years, during which time they wielded considerable control over the party.

By the 1900s, the Democratic Party had evolved from its original platform and began to favor more government oversight and regulation in business and economic affairs. The progressive policies of the Wilson administration initiated the transition, which deepened with the establishment of various social assistance programs after the Great Depression. During this period, the Democratic Party began to embrace a more liberal interpretation of the United States Constitution.

Religious affiliation also contributed to the evolution of the Democratic Party. Republicans were primarily Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregationalist, while most Democrats were Catholic, Episcopalian and German Lutheran. Because of this sharp division, issues like prohibition became difficult to negotiate. Republicans believed that the government should be involved in moral issues, such as alcohol consumption, while Democrats felt that the government should not make religious or moral legislation.

The website for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) lists the following historical timeline for the Democratic Party:

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Summary For more than 200 years, our party has led the fight for civil rights, health care, Social Security, workers' rights, and women's rights. We are the party of Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, FDR, and the countless everyday Americans who work each day to build a more perfect union... We've reined in a financial system that was out of control and delivered the toughest consumer protections ever enacted. We've reworked our student loan system to make higher education more affordable and won the fight for equal pay for women. We passed the Recovery Act, which created or helped to save millions of jobs and made unprecedented investments in the major pillars of our country. From America's beginnings to today, people have turned to Democrats to meet our country's most pressing challenges—and pave the way for a future that lifts up all Americans. 1920s: 19th Amendment: Woman’s Suffrage Under the leadership of Democratic President Woodrow Wilson, the U.S. Constitution was amended to grant women the right to vote. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee's became the 36th state to ratify women's suffrage, and it became our nation's 19th amendment. 1930s In the 1930s, Americans turned to Democrats and elected President Franklin Roosevelt to end the Great Depression. President Roosevelt offered Americans a New Deal that put people back to work, stabilized farm prices, and brought electricity to rural homes and communities. Under President Roosevelt, Social Security established a promise that lasts to this day: growing old would never again mean growing poor. 1935: Social Security Act One of the most enduring parts of FDR's New Deal, the Social Security Act provides assistance to retirees, the unemployed, widows, and orphans. By signing this act, FDR was the first president to advocate for federal assistance for the elderly. It was largely opposed by Republican legislators. 1944 In 1944, FDR signed the G.I. Bill—a historic measure that provided unprecedented benefits for soldiers returning from World War II, including low-cost mortgages, loans to start a business, and tuition and living expenses for those seeking higher education. Harry Truman helped rebuild Europe after World War II with the Marshall Plan and oversaw the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. By integrating the military, President Truman helped to bring down barriers of race and gender and pave the way the way for civil rights advancements in the years that followed. 1960s In the 1960s, Americans again turned to Democrats and elected President John Kennedy to tackle the challenges of a new era. President Kennedy dared Americans to put a man on the moon, created the Peace Corps, and negotiated a treaty banning atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. And after President Kennedy's assassination, Americans looked to President Lyndon Johnson, who offered a new vision of a Great Society and signed into law the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. 1964: Civil Rights Act This landmark piece of legislation outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women and prohibited racial segregation. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, it ended unequal voting requirements and segregated schools, workplaces, and public facilities. Medicare President Johnson's enactment of Medicare was a watershed moment in America's history that redefined our country's commitment to our seniors—offering a new promise that all Americans have the right to a healthy retirement. 1976 In 1976, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Americans elected Jimmy Carter to restore dignity to the White House. He created the Departments of Education and Energy and helped to forge a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt. 1992 In 1992, after 12 years of Republican presidents, record budget deficits and high unemployment, Americans turned to Democrats once again and elected Bill Clinton to get America moving again. President Clinton balanced the budget, helped the economy add 23 million new jobs, and oversaw the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in history. 2008 And in 2008, Americans turned to Democrats and elected President Obama to reverse our country's slide into the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression and undo eight years of policies that favored the few over the many. Under President Obama's direction and congressional Democrats' leadership, we've reformed a health care system that was broken and extended health insurance to 32 million Americans. 2010: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act After decades of trying and despite unanimous opposition from Republicans, President Obama and Democrats passed comprehensive health reform into law in March 2010. The Affordable Care Act will hold insurance companies accountable, lower costs, expand coverage, and improve care for all Americans.

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Leadership

National party leadership

Below is a list of the national leadership of the Democratic Party, as of April 2024:

Title	Officer	State
Chairman	Jaime Harrison	South Carolina
Vice chairwoman	Gretchen Whitmer	Michigan
Vice chairwoman	Tammy Duckworth	Illinois
Vice chairman	Henry R. Muñoz III	Texas
Senior advisor	Cedric Richmond	Louisiana
Vice chairman, chairman of the Association of State Democratic Chairs	Ken Martin	Minnesota
Secretary	Jason Rae	Wisconsin
Treasurer	Virginia McGregor	Pennsylvania
National Finance chairman	Chris Korge	Florida
U.S. Senate leader	Chuck Schumer	New York
U.S. House leader	Hakeem Jeffries	California
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee chairwoman	State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins	New York
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairwoman	Rep. Suzan DelBene	Washington
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman	Sen. Gary Peters	Michigan
Governors Association chairman	Gov. Tim Walz	Minnesota

State party leadership

Below is a list of state chairpersons of the Democratic National Committee, as of March 2024. Click "show" on the box below to view the full list.

State Democratic Party chairs
State	Chairperson		State	Chairperson
Alabama	Randy Kelley		Montana	Robyn Driscoll
Alaska	Mike Wenstrup		Nebraska	Jane Kleeb
American Samoa	Patrick Ti'a Reid		Nevada	Daniele Monroe-Moreno
Arizona	Yolanda Bejarano		New Hampshire	Raymond Buckley
Arkansas	Grant Tennille		New Jersey	LeRoy J. Jones, Jr.
California	Rusty Hicks		New Mexico	Jessica Velasquez
Colorado	Shad Murib		New York	Jay Jacobs
Connecticut	Nancy DiNardo		North Carolina	Anderson Clayton
Delaware	Elizabeth D. Maron		North Dakota	Adam Goldwyn
District of Columbia	Charles Wilson		Ohio	Liz Walters
Florida	Nikki Fried		Oklahoma	Alicia Andrews
Georgia	Nikema Williams		Oregon	Rosa Colquitt
Guam	Anthony Babauta		Pennsylvania	Sharif Street
Hawaii	Vacant		Puerto Rico	Charles Rodriguez
Idaho	Lauren Necochea		Rhode Island	Liz Beretta-Perik
Illinois	Elizabeth Hernandez		South Carolina	Christale Spain
Indiana	Mike Schmuhl		South Dakota	Shane Merrill
Iowa	Rita Hart		Tennessee	Hendrell Remus
Kansas	Jeanna Repass		Texas	Gilberto Hinojosa
Kentucky	Colmon Elridge		U.S. Virgin Islands	Stedmann Hodge Jr.
Louisiana	Randal Gaines		Utah	Diane Lewis
Maine	Bev Uhlenhake		Vermont	David Glidden
Maryland	Ken Ulman		Virginia	Susan Swecker
Massachusetts	Steve Kerrigan		Washington	Shasti Conrad
Michigan	Lavora Barnes		West Virginia	Mike Pushkin
Minnesota	Ken Martin		Wisconsin	Ben Wikler
Mississippi	Cheikh Taylor		Wyoming	Joe Barbuto
Missouri	Russ Carnahan		Democrats Abroad	Martha McDevitt-Pugh

Historical chairpersons of the DNC

Below is a historical list of past and present chairpersons of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Click "show" on the box below to view the full list.

Chairperson	Term	State
Benjamin F. Hallett	1848–1852	Massachusetts
Robert Milligan McLane	1852–1856	Maryland
David Allen Smalley	1856–1860	Vermont
August Belmont	1860–1872	New York
Augustus Schell	1872–1876	New York
Abram Stevens Hewitt	1876–1877	New York
William H. Barnum	1877–1889	Connecticut
Calvin Stewart Brice	1889–1892	Ohio
William F. Harrity	1892–1896	Pennsylvania
James K. Jones	1896–1904	Arkansas
Thomas Taggart	1904–1908	Indiana
Norman E. Mack	1908–1912	New York
William F. McCombs	1912–1916	New York
Vance C. McCormick	1916–1919	Pennsylvania
Homer S. Cummings	1919–1920	Connecticut
George White	1920–1921	Ohio
Cordell Hull	1921–1924	Tennessee
Clem L. Shaver	1924–1928	West Virginia
John J. Raskob	1928–1932	New York
James A. Farley	1932–1940	New York
Edward J. Flynn	1940–1943	New York
Frank C. Walker	1943–1944	Pennsylvania
Robert E. Hannegan	1944–1947	Missouri
J. Howard McGrath	1947–1949	Rhode Island
William M. Boyle	1949–1951	Missouri
Frank E. McKinney	1951–1952	Indiana
Stephen Mitchell	1952–1955	Illinois
Paul M. Butler	1955–1960	Indiana
Henry M. Jackson	1960–1961	Washington
John Moran Bailey	1961–1968	Connecticut
Lawrence F. O'Brien	1968–1969	Massachusetts
Fred R. Harris	1969–1970	Oklahoma
Lawrence F. O'Brien	1970–1972	Massachusetts
Jean Westwood	1972	Utah
Robert S. Strauss	1972–1977	Texas
Kenneth M. Curtis	1977–1978	Maine
John C. White	1978–19812	Texas
Charles T. Manatt	1981–1985	California
Paul G. Kirk	1985–1989	Massachusetts
Ron Brown	1989–1993	New York
David Wilhelm	1993–1994	Ohio
Debra DeLee	1994–1995	Massachusetts
Christopher J. Dodd	1995–1997	Connecticut
Donald Fowler	1995–1997	South Carolina
Roy Romer	1997–1999	Colorado
Steven Grossman	1997–1999	Massachusetts
Edward G. Rendell	1999–2001	Pennsylvania
Joseph Andrew	1999–2001	Indiana
Terry McAuliffe	2001–2005	Virginia
Howard Dean	2005–2009	Vermont
Tim Kaine	2009–2011	Virginia
Debbie Wasserman Schultz	2011–2016	Florida
Donna Brazile	2016-2017	Washington, D.C.
Tom Perez	2017 - 2021	Washington, D.C.
Jaime Harrison	2021 - present	South Carolina

Platform and policy issues

See also: The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) drafts a party platform every four years. The party platform is a written document that outlines the Democratic Party's policy priorities and positions on domestic and foreign affairs. The platform also describes the party's core concepts and beliefs.

Click here to view the complete 2016 Democratic Party Platform.

Policy issues

In addition to the party platform, the DNC lists the following key policy issues on its website. Click "show" on the boxes below for more information about the issues.

CIVIL RIGHTS

"Every American, no matter their race, sex, ethnicity or national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability, is equal, and Democrats are fighting for them. Democrats have a long and proud history of defending civil rights and expanding opportunity for all Americans. From the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009 to including marriage equality in the party platform in 2012, Democrats have fought to end discrimination in all forms. If the Trump Administration threatens a group of Americans simply because of who they are or what they believe, Democrats will fight for our core values of equality for everyone. We are committed to protecting voting rights, freedom of religion, women’s right to make their own health care decisions, and equal federal rights for LGBT couples. We must also strive for criminal justice reform, as well as common sense approaches to reduce and prevent gun violence. No matter who you are, who you love, where you’re from, or how you worship, Democrats are fighting for you."

EDUCATION

"Democrats believe all children should be able to lead happy, successful lives. That’s why we’re dedicated to ensuring the next generation has access to a quality education and the tools to drive our economy forward. Our country is strongest when our workers are trained with the knowledge and ingenuity to perform at the highest levels. Every child should have the opportunity to reach that horizon and to fulfill the American Dream. Democrats have long valued education as the key to success, both for individuals and for our nation. In 1944, Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the G.I. Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that provided World War II veterans with opportunities for higher education. The G.I. Bill helped create the modern middle class in America. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson and a Democratic Congress enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with the goal of providing a quality education to every child. In recent years Democrats have further increased access to higher education and restructured and dramatically expanded college financial aid, while making federal programs simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students. In 2010, President Obama signed into law student loan reform that cut out the role of big banks. The Obama administration also doubled our investment in Pell Grants and made it easier for students to pay back student loans. President Obama has worked to reform the higher education system and invested the most in student aid since the G.I. Bill. Democrats are committed to protecting that progress, because affordable public education is the foundation of our middle class. Democrats want every child - no matter their zip code - to have access to a quality public K-12 education, and for college to be affordable for every American. We know that as the global marketplace grows more competitive, we need to expand opportunities for higher education and job training. Democrats are committed to increasing the college-completion rate as well as the share of students who are prepared for budding industries with specific job-related skills. Democrats recognize education as the most pressing economic issue in America’s future, and we cannot allow our country to fall behind in a global economy. We must prepare the next generation for success in college and the workforce."

ENVIRONMENT

"Democrats are committed to curbing the effects of climate change, protecting America’s natural resources, and ensuring the quality of our air, water, and land for current and future generations. From investing in clean energy to protecting our ecosystems, Democrats are working to address our biggest environmental challenges, paving the way to a more sustainable America. Here’s what Democrats and President Obama have done: Under the Obama administration, the Department of Transportation and the EPA issued new fuel-economy standards, the first meaningful increases in fuel economy for cars and light trucks in decades. We’ve increased our use of solar energy twentyfold since President Obama took office, and tripled our electricity produced by wind power. In June 2013, President Obama laid out a Climate Action Plan to reduce the harmful effects of climate change. President Obama instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to take steps to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, which are the largest concentrated source of emissions in the United States. These proposed steps will reduce carbon pollution 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. And in November of 2014, the President announced a landmark agreement with China to work together to reduce carbon pollution in the next 15 years. Democrats want to protect and build on President Obama’s progress. They know that climate change is one of our nation’s greatest challenges, and that addressing this urgent threat could make America the world’s clean energy superpower and create millions of good-paying jobs. Democrats will fight to protect the Paris Agreement to protect our planet for future generations. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has called climate change 'a hoax invented by the Chinese,' a belief that not only flies in the face of scientific evidence, but threatens the long-term health and safety of our country. It will take all of us acting together — workers and entrepreneurs, scientists and citizens, the public and the private sector — to address the challenge of climate change and seize our clean-energy future."

HEALTH CARE

"In March 2010, President Obama fulfilled a promise that Democrats have pursued for nearly a century: making quality, affordable health care available to all Americans. In all, seven presidents pushed for health reform over the years. We have finally made real the principle that every American should have access to quality health care, and no one should go bankrupt just because they get sick — and we’ll never stop fighting to protect that principle. For decades Democrats have fought for the simple idea that everyone should have some basic security in health care. When President Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965, we were finally able to provide that security to America’s seniors. In 1997, Democrats passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which currently covers 8 million kids. But it took nearly a century to extend that basic measure of security to all Americans. In 2010, despite unanimous opposition from Republicans, Democrats were finally able to pass comprehensive health reform into law. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more than 20 million Americans have gained health care coverage and the uninsured rate has been cut almost in half. Among the newly insured are more than 2.3 million young adults who are covered because the Affordable Care Act allows them to stay on their parent’s insurance until age 26. Discrimination based on pre-existing conditions is now illegal, and nearly 8 in 10 Americans who recently shopped for health insurance in the marketplace could get it for less than $100 per month. The Affordable Care Act has also allowed states to expand Medicaid to help even more Americans get covered. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, and Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment has risen 26 percent. The Affordable Care Act also provides tax credits to small businesses to help offset the costs of employee coverage and tax credits to help families pay for insurance. We are also experiencing health care spending growth at its lowest level in 50 years. Democrats are committed to preserving and protecting the Affordable Care Act and the peace of mind it has brought to millions of Americans, and they will fight all attempts by the Trump administration to repeal the law and take health care away from tens of millions of Americans. We are proud of this progress we have already made and are will work to extend and preserve it for generations to come."

IMMIGRATION REFORM

"Democrats are fighting for every immigrant who feels threatened by Donald Trump’s election. We will not stand by and watch families be torn apart — Democrats in Congress and in states and cities across the country are already standing up to Trump’s hatred and bigotry to defend their immigrant neighbors. Thanks to President Obama, hundreds of thousands of DREAMers have been able to receive a temporary status that allows them to study, work, pay taxes, and contribute to the communities they grew up in. His administration has made a tremendous difference by prioritizing immigration enforcement so that it is focused on those with criminal records and doesn’t arbitrarily separate families, and Democrats are fighting to protect that progress. Democrats will continue to work toward comprehensive immigration reform that fixes our nation’s broken immigration system, improves border security, prioritizes enforcement so we are targeting criminals - not families, keeps families together, and strengthens our economy. Democrats know the importance of our country’s history as a nation of immigrants. We honor our fundamental values by treating all people who come to the United States with dignity and respect, and we always seek to embrace — not to to attack — immigrants."

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY

"15.5 million new private-sector jobs since early 2010 and the lowest unemployment claims in decades: That’s the progress that Democrats made under President Obama, and that’s the progress we’re working every single day to protect. Democrats believe that our economy should strengthen our country and work for every American, not just those at the top. We are committed to helping all Americans meet the challenges of the 21st century by spurring job creation, rebuilding our infrastructure, investing in clean-energy technologies and small businesses, and making sure corporations, the wealthy, and Wall Street pay their fair share. When President Obama took office in 2009, he inherited an economy in freefall, with huge deficits, skyrocketing health care costs, dwindling employment, and banking and housing markets on the brink of collapse. Working with the President, Democrats stabilized the financial system, helped to prevent a second Great Depression, and created millions of new jobs. Democrats cut taxes for working families, provided help for small businesses and homeowners, and strengthened consumer protections. Despite Republican obstruction at almost every turn, Democrats provided relief for hardworking Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Now we’re working to protect that progress, and fighting to extend it to every American who has been left behind. When Republicans cut taxes for the wealthy but not the middle class, or threaten our recovery with dangerous financial policies, Democrats will fight back. We want to guarantee that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed and that all working families can enjoy economic security. Democrats won’t be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a job. By making debt-free college available to all Americans, cracking down on companies that ship profits and jobs overseas, fighting for equal pay and paid leave, and ensuring the wealthiest citizens and largest corporations pay their fair share, Democrats will never stop fighting to build an economy works for all."

NATIONAL SECURITY

"As the threats facing our country have evolved over the years, so too has our ability to respond to them. Our national security personnel are the most dynamic and well-trained in the world, and we must never forget the solemn duty that they fulfill for our nation. Democrats are committed to ensuring our troops have the training, equipment, and support that they need when they are deployed and the care that they and their families need and deserve when they return home. Defending America is not just a question of defending our borders. We must continue to support and train our military to meet the challenges of 21st-century threats. That’s why Democrats have made modernizing our military a top priority while also eliminating outdated programs and unnecessary spending. Democrats are focused on preventing terrorism across the globe. This means continuing to invest heavily in intelligence and information sharing and promoting those networks among our allies. We have strengthened our ability to keep nuclear and biological weapons out of the hands of terrorists, promoted efforts to better ensure border security, and augmented defense of our national infrastructure. President Obama made significant steps to keep America safe and restore America’s image around the world by rebuilding strategic alliances with countries that share our values and face common threats. Democrats will continue to build on and protect that progress."

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

"From the airplane and the internet, to chemotherapy and the Model T, America has a rich history of technological innovation and scientific ingenuity. But after years of declining tests scores in math and science and Republican administrations that often turn their backs on science, the United States risks losing its scientific dominance. Democrats are committed to reversing this trend by investing in the technologies and jobs of the future while increasing support for more advanced research, labs, and classrooms. In the past, government investments in scientific research have yielded innovations that have helped shape the landscape of American life — technologies like the internet, digital photography, Global Positioning System technology, laser surgery, and cancer treatment. But over the past three decades, support for the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences has been drastically cut at a time when other countries are substantially increasing their own research budgets. Democrats believe that scientific research should play an important role in advancing science and technology in the classroom and in the lab. In order to compete globally, our next generation must be equipped with the tools and skills that lead to the job-creating technological innovations and scientific breakthroughs of the future. Democrats have taken significant steps to expand educational opportunities and make college more affordable for all Americans while improving the quality of our schools and our teachers. Democrats have made historic investments in research for clean-energy technologies that are helping to create the industries of the future. The Obama administration lifted federal restrictions on stem cell research, providing scientists and doctors with new resources to help save lives. Democrats are working to close the 'digital divide,' expanding access to high-speed broadband internet. We recognize that broadband is an important addition to our national infrastructure by expanding access to information and education while serving as a central resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs to generate economic growth. The Obama administration took unprecedented steps to use technology as an instrument to restore faith, transparency, and accountability to government, and Democrats are fighting to protect his work so we can harness the ingenuity and experience of all Americans to increase efficiency and effectiveness of government."

RETIREMENT SECURITY

"Democrats believe that a dignified retirement is central to the American Dream, and its foundation is built on two long-standing institutions charged with realizing that dream: Medicare and Social Security. These two institutions represent an unbreakable commitment to American workers, and for decades Democrats have fought to defend them. In 1935, Democrats and President Franklin Roosevelt created Social Security. In 1965, Democrats and President Lyndon Johnson created Medicare. Ever since, Democrats have continually fought to defend these cornerstones of the American Dream in the face of attempts to dismantle or undermine both. PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY For 75 years, Social Security has been an enduring promise to America’s seniors. Today it remains a safety net for seniors and offers all Americans peace of mind. In recent years, Democrats have beaten back Republican plans to privatize Social Security — plans that would have exposed the retirement funds of millions of American seniors to great risk on the eve of the financial crisis. Instead, no one lost a penny of Social Security. STRENGTHENING MEDICARE Medicare is the second pillar of Democrats’ commitment to Americans’ retirement security. Health care reform strengthened the Medicare trust fund, expanding its life by more than a decade. The Affordable Care Act has also improved care across the board, reduced fraud, and finally closed the hole in Medicare drug coverage known as the “donut hole.” Seniors will continue to have full access to their doctors and are now eligible for free coverage for certain preventive services, including an annual wellness exam. HELPING AMERICANS SAVE FOR RETIREMENT Democrats are committed to making it easier for Americans to save for retirement on their own. Nearly half the workforce — about 75 million people — currently do not have employer-supported retirement plans. Democrats want to make it easier for all Americans to participate in retirement accounts at work and support a system where employees have pension portability, so workers don’t lose their pension if they change jobs. Democrats believe that all Americans have the right to a secure and healthy retirement, and we will continue fighting to preserve both Medicare and Social Security for future generations."

VOTING RIGHTS

"Democrats have a long and proud history of fighting for voting rights that continues to this day. Organizers and activists have fought and bled for their right to vote, and Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act in 1965 was the culmination of all of their hard work and sacrifice. The right to vote is fundamental — it is the right that protects and expands all other rights. That’s why the Democratic Party has continuously remained dedicated to making it easier and more convenient for Americans of all backgrounds to cast their ballot. We adopted the boldest and most pro-voter platform in history — calling for expanding early voting and vote-by-mail, implementing universal automatic voter registration and same day voter registration, ending partisan and racial gerrymandering, and making Election Day a national holiday. We do this by supporting candidates for state secretary of state and state legislative seats who want to expand voting rights. And we do this by supporting efforts in all 50 states to ensure that every eligible citizen can register and vote, and that each vote is accurately counted. This work is all the more important in the face of a cynical Republican strategy to make it more difficult to ordinary Americans to vote. In the wake of the Supreme Court gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, 14 states passed or implemented some form of voting restriction. These actions included eliminating same-day registration, reducing early voting, prohibiting out-of-precinct voting, and imposing strict photo ID laws. During this same time period, however, 37 states passed election laws or regulations expanding access to the ballot box, such as automatic registration, online voter registration, same-day registration, expanding early voting, expanding accepted forms of identification, or improving data through partnerships such as Pew’s ERIC program. ACHIEVEMENTS It is important to stop and recognize these achievements because they represent the culmination of years of advocacy and coalition building by our party leaders, elected officials, and core constituents: Automatic Registration: California, Connecticut, Oregon, West Virginia and Vermont adopted laws automatically registering voters when they get a driver’s license and allowing them to opt-out if they wish. Oregon registered over 250,000 new voters in 2016 and 42% of those who were automatically registered cast a ballot in November 2016. California alone may automatically register up to 7 million citizens – almost the equivalent of all the votes cast in the State of New York in November 2016. Same-Day Registration: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Utah, and Vermont passed same-day registration – allowing voters to both register and vote at the same time. Online Voter Registration: Florida, DC, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania passed online voter registration. As of June 2016, 31 states now offer online voter registration and another 7 have passed laws authorizing online voter registration. Modernized Motor Voter: California sent voter registration applications to nearly 3.8 million people who had applied for health insurance through the state’s healthcare exchange. Expanded Early Voting: Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland and Utah all either piloted, introduced or expanded early voting. Identification Laws: New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Virginia added to the list of acceptable forms of identification when voting or otherwise made their voter ID law less restrictive. CHALLENGES The 2016 election was the first in in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act, and 14 states had brand new voting restrictions put in place for this presidential election. Republicans passed laws eliminating same-day registration, reducing early voting periods, eliminating pre-registration, not counting certain provisional ballots, and imposing a new voter ID law in states like Alabama,, Arizona, Indiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. These laws have a real effect on our election outcomes, and disproportionately affect women, communities of color, young people, the elderly, low-income individuals, and disabled voters, as well as military members and veterans. We saw this in Wisconsin, where as many as 300,000 voters didn’t have the photo ID that was required to vote. The margin of victory in Wisconsin was only 23,000 votes. We saw this again in North Carolina, where there were 158 fewer early voting locations in 40 counties with large African-American populations — African American turnout in North Carolina was down 16% from 2012. As Republican politicians try to make it harder to vote, Democrats are working to expand access to the polls. Whether we are hitting the streets to register voters, engaging with local election officials, passing commonsense laws, or taking our fights against discriminatory voting laws to court, we won't stop working to promote a system of elections that is accessible, open, and fair. As Congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis says, 'the vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it.'"

Conventions

2024 Democratic National Convention

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2024

The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago, Illinois, from August 19-22, 2024.

The national nominating convention is the formal ceremony during which the party officially selects its nominee and adopts a party platform. The delegates are individuals chosen to represent their state or territory at the convention.

2020 Democratic National Convention

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2020

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) held its presidential nominating convention the week of August 17, 2020, across four stages in New York City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Wilmington.

The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020, in Milwaukee. Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Most of the convention's events took place remotely. The DNC announced in June 2020 that delegates should not plan to travel to Milwaukee to attend the convention. Instead, votes on reports from the Rules, Platform, and Credentials committees took place remotely from August 3-15, 2020.

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced on August 5, 2020, that former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and other speakers would not travel to Milwaukee. Biden was formally nominated at the convention on August 18, 2020.

Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris was the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.

2016 Democratic National Convention

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

The 2016 Democratic National Convention took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center from July 25 to July 28, 2016.

Hillary Clinton nomination

See also: Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic presidential nomination and makes history

Hillary Clinton became the Democratic presidential nominee and the first female nominee of a major political party on July 26, 2016, with the support of 2,842 Democratic National Committee delegates. In order to win the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, a candidate needed to win 2,383 delegates at the Democratic National Convention. There were expected to be 4,765 delegates at the convention.

Historical Democratic National Conventions

Below is a list of Democratic National Conventions, for which the Democratic National Committee (DNC) was responsible'

Year	Location	DNC nominee
1832	Baltimore, Maryland	Andrew Jackson
1835	Baltimore, Maryland	Martin Van Buren
1840	Baltimore, Maryland	Martin Van Buren
1844	Baltimore, Maryland	James Polk
1848	Baltimore, Maryland	Lewis Cass
1852	Baltimore, Maryland	Franklin Pierce
1856	Cincinnati, Ohio	James Buchanan
April 1860	Charleston, South Carolina	None
June 1860	Baltimore, Maryland	Stephen Douglas
1864	Chicago, Illinois	George McClellan
1868	New York, New York	Horatio Seymour
1872	Baltimore, Maryland	Horace Greeley
1876	St. Louis, Missouri	Samuel Tilden
1880	Cincinnati, Ohio	Winfield Hancock
1884	Chicago, Illinois	Grover Cleveland
1888	St. Louis, Missouri	Grover Cleveland
1892	Chicago, Illinois	Grover Cleveland
1896	Chicago, Illinois	William Jennings Bryan
1900	Kansas City, Kansas	William Jennings Bryan
1904	St. Louis, Missouri	Alton Parker
1908	Denver, Colorado	William Jennings Bryan
1912	Baltimore, Maryland	Woodrow Wilson
1916	St. Louis, Missouri	Woodrow Wilson
1920	San Francisco, California	James Cox
1924	New York, New York	John Davis
1928	Houston, Texas	Alfred Smith
1932	Chicago, Illinois	Franklin Roosevelt
1936	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Franklin Roosevelt
1940	Chicago, Illinois	Franklin Roosevelt
1944	Chicago, Illinois	Franklin Roosevelt
1948	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Harry Truman
1952	Chicago, Illinois	Adlai Stevenson
1956	Chicago, Illinois	Adlai Stevenson
1960	Los Angeles, California	John Kennedy
1964	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Lyndon Johnson
1968	Chicago, Illinois	Hubert Humphrey
1972	Miami Beach, Florida	George McGovern
1976	New York, New York	Jimmy Carter
1980	New York, New York	Jimmy Carter
1984	San Francisco, California	Walter Mondale
1988	Atlanta, Georgia	Michael Dukakis
1992	New York, New York	Bill Clinton
1996	Chicago, Illinois	Bill Clinton
2000	Los Angeles, California	Al Gore
2004	Boston, Massachusetts	John Kerry
2008	Denver, Colorado	Barack Obama
2012	Charlotte, North Carolina	Barack Obama
2016	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Hillary Clinton
2020	New York City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Wilmington	Joe Biden
2024	Chicago, Illinois	TBD

See also

• Democratic National Committee
• Democratic National Convention, 2016
• The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016
• State Democratic parties
• Republican Party
• Republican National Committee
• Terms and definitions

External links

• Democratic National Committee
  • DNC on YouTube
  • DNC on Twitter
  • DNC on Facebook
• Democratic Senate Caucus
• Democratic House Caucus
• DSCC: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
• Democratic Governors Association
• Democratic Attorneys General Association
• National Federation of Democratic Women
• College Democrats of America
• Young Democrats of America
• Democrats Abroad
• Progressive Democrats of America
• C-SPAN, "History of the Democratic Party"

Additional reading

• Selfa, Lance. (2008). The Democrats: A Critical History, New York, New York: Haymarket Publishing
• Witcover, Jules. (2003). Party of the People: A History of the Democrats, New York, New York: Random House