Democratic Party (United States) presidential candidates, 2012
Encyclopedia
This article contains lists of candidates associated with the 2012 Democratic Party
presidential primaries
for the 2012 United States presidential election
.
(FEC).
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential primaries
United States presidential primary
The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while caucuses are private events run by the political parties...
for the 2012 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
.
Candidates
The following individuals have formally announced that they are running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012 and/or have filed as a candidate for such with the Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
(FEC).
Incumbent
 President Barack Obama (Website) (FEC filing) |
President Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... , born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... , incumbent President of the United States President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... . Obama is both eligible and seeking to serve a second term. His re-election bid was formally announced on April 4, 2011 on his website. Several former members of the Obama administration Presidency of Barack Obama The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election... and a number of Democratic National Committee Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support... staffers are officially working for the campaign. The headquarters for Obama's reelection campaign is based in Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... .
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Challengers
| Darcy Richardson (Website) |
Darcy Richardson Darcy Richardson Darcy G. Richardson is an American author, historian, blogger and politician.In the 2012 presidential election, Richardson is the first candidate that has filed to challenge incumbent Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in New Hampshire.-Author and... , born 1955, progressive Progressivism Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The... activist, author, historian, blogger, and Democratic Party strategist from Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... . He is a former Democratic Committee member and former chairman of the New Democrats New Democrats New Democrats, in the politics of the United States, are an ideologically centrist faction within the Democratic Party that emerged after the victory of Republican George H. W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election. They are identified with centrist social/cultural/pluralist positions and... . Richardson was the first challenger to file to run against Obama in the 2012 New Hampshire primary New Hampshire primary The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a... and plans on expanding his operation to other states. |
Randall Terry (Website) (FEC filing) |
Randall Terry Randall Terry Randall Almira Terry is an American pro-life activist and candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 2012. Terry founded the pro-life organization Operation Rescue. The group became particularly prominent beginning in 1987 for blockading the entrances to abortion clinics;... , born 1959, pro-life Pro-life Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction... activist and founder of Operation Rescue Operation Save America Operation Save America is an organization based in Dallas, Texas, that opposes human induced abortion and its legality. In 1994, Flip Benham became the director of the organization, then called Operation Rescue National. Benham replaced Keith Tucci, who had replaced Randall Terry... from West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... . In January 2011, Terry announced his intention to challenge President Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... in the Democratic Party primaries for the presidential election of 2012 United States presidential election, 2012 The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United... . He said he planned to run an ad featuring graphic photos of aborted fetus Fetus A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The... es during Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be... in February 2012. |
Vermin Supreme |
Vermin Supreme Vermin Supreme Vermin Supreme is an American performance artist and activist who is known for his being a satirical candidate in the United States in various local, State, and national elections. Supreme is known for wearing a boot shaped hat and carrying a large toothbrush. He claims that if elected President... , performance artist and perennial candidate |
Withdrew before primary elections
| Withdrew candidacy prior to the Iowa Caucuses | |
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Warren Mosler (Website) (FEC filing) |
Warren Mosler Warren Mosler Warren Mosler is an American economist, president and founder of Mosler Automotive, and co-founder of the Center for Full Employment And Price Stability at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He briefly ran for President of the United States as a member of the Democratic Party in the 2012... , born September 18, 1949, economist, founder and current president of Mosler Automotive from Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... . In February 2009, Mosler declared his candidacy with the FEC. He ran as a "Tea Party Democrat Tea Party movement The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009... ", before he withdrew his presidential candidacy in April 2010 to run for U.S. Senate. |
Previous
The following people have been the object of presidential speculation in past media reports, but have not recently signaled an interest in actually running.Declined to run
The following candidates have stated they do not plan to run in the 2012 presidential election. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton |
Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... , United States Secretary of State United States Secretary of State The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence... , from New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... . Clinton has definitively ruled out running for president in 2012.
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Former Governor Howard Dean |
Howard Dean Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S... , former Governor Governor of Vermont The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four... of Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... . A spokesman for Dean commented: "No way, no how, not happening" when asked if Dean would challenge President Obama in the primaries, adding, "he asked me to make it explicitly clear. He supports President Obama and will support him in 2012."
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Former Senator Russ Feingold |
Russ Feingold Russ Feingold Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic party member of the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. From 1983 to 1993, Feingold was a Wisconsin State Senator representing the 27th District.He is a recipient of the John F... , former Senator of Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... . Feingold's chief of staff replied to speculation that he would run by saying, "Senator Feingold is not running for president in 2012. Any suggestion he is thinking of running, planning to run, or interested in running is untrue. Senator Feingold is a strong supporter of President Barack Obama and wants to see him reelected in 2012."
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Former Senate nominee Alvin Greene |
Alvin Greene Alvin Greene Alvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and... , former U.S. Senate nominee of South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... . After losing his 2010 Senate race United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2010 The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010 along with other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator... , he asked the South Carolina Democratic Party how much it would cost to run for president. After being asking about a run on November 11, 2010, he said that he was "seriously considering" a campaign. A year later, Greene notified The Daily Caller The Daily Caller The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney... he would not run for president.
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Representative Dennis Kucinich |
Dennis Kucinich Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.... , U.S. Representative of Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... : Responding to speculation that he planned to challenge President Obama in the 2012 Democratic presidential primaries, Kucinich stated in August 2010 that he would not do so.
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Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader |
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... , consumer advocate from Connecticut, headed a movement to find a progressive primary challenger for Barack Obama. Nader affirmed he would not be the challenger because he was not a party insider.
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Senator Bernie Sanders |
Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives... , Senator of Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... . After speculation that he would challenge Obama in the primaries from the left, Sanders said: "You will be the first to know: ain't gonna do it."
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See also
- Republican Party (United States) presidential candidates, 2012Republican Party (United States) presidential candidates, 2012This article contains lists of candidates associated with the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries for the 2012 United States presidential election.-Candidates:...
- United States third party and independent presidential candidates, 2012United States third party and independent presidential candidates, 2012This article contains lists of official and prospective third party and independent candidates associated with the 2012 United States presidential election....
- United States presidential election, 2012 timelineUnited States presidential election, 2012 timelineThe following is a timeline of major events leading up to the United States presidential election of 2012. The election is the 57th quadrennial United States presidential election and is slated to be held on November 6, 2012.-October 2009:...
External links
- 2012 Presidential Form 2 Filers at the Federal Election CommissionFederal Election CommissionThe Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
(FEC)