Donna Brazile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donna Brazile
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| Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
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Acting
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| In office July 28, 2016 – February 25, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Debbie Wasserman Schultz |
| Succeeded by | Tom Perez |
| In office April 5, 2011 – May 4, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Kaine |
| Succeeded by | Debbie Wasserman Schultz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donna Lease Brazile
December 15, 1959 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Louisiana State University (BA) |
Donna Brazile (born December 15, 1959) is an American political expert. She helps with political plans, manages campaigns, and shares her thoughts on politics. She served twice as the acting leader of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Currently, she works as a contributor for ABC News. She also used to work for Fox News and CNN. In 2016, she stopped working for CNN after it was found that she had shared some information about debate questions with a political campaign.
Donna Brazile is a member of the Democratic Party. She made history in 2000 by becoming the first African-American woman to manage a major presidential campaign. This was for Al Gore during the 2000 United States presidential election. She also worked on other presidential campaigns, including those for Jesse Jackson and Walter Mondale. She was the acting chair of the DNC in 2011 and again from 2016 to 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Donna Brazile was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the third of nine children. Her family's last name used to be "Braswell" many generations ago.
Donna became interested in politics when she was only nine years old. A local candidate promised to build a playground in her neighborhood, which caught her attention. She joined a special program called TRIO Upward Bound during high school.
In 1981, Brazile earned a bachelor's degree in industrial psychology from Louisiana State University (LSU). After college, she worked for groups in Washington, D.C., that support different causes. She played an important role in helping to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. As a teenager, she also volunteered for the Jimmy Carter–Walter Mondale presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980.
Political Career Highlights
Donna Brazile has worked on many presidential campaigns for Democratic candidates. These include Jesse Jackson in 1984, Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and Dick Gephardt in 1988.
After Gephardt's campaign in 1988, Brazile worked for Michael Dukakis's campaign. In the 1990s, she was a top aide for Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton from Washington, D.C. She helped guide the city's budget and laws in Congress. She also advised Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996.
In 1999, Brazile became the campaign manager for Vice-President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. This made her the first African-American woman to lead a major party's presidential campaign.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Donna Brazile was chosen to be on the board of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. This group helped Louisiana rebuild after the storm. She also gave her important papers to the Louisiana State University Libraries.
Democratic National Committee Service
After the 2000 presidential election, Donna Brazile was chosen to lead the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute. This group works to protect people's right to vote.
2008 Presidential Election
In the 2008 election, Donna Brazile was a superdelegate. This means she was an unpledged delegate who could vote for any candidate at the Democratic National Convention.
During the 2008 Democratic primary elections, some states like Florida and Michigan held their primaries earlier than the DNC rules allowed. This caused problems for their delegates. Brazile believed it was important to follow the rules. She said, "We need to send a message that you can't defy the rules."
2012 Presidential Election
In the spring of 2011, Donna Brazile served as the temporary chair of the Democratic National Committee for several weeks. She was the vice-chair of the DNC at the time. She led the organization while they were changing leaders, after Tim Kaine left and before Debbie Wasserman Schultz took over. After Wasserman Schultz became chair, Brazile went back to her role as vice-chair.
2016 Presidential Election
When Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as DNC chair in July 2016, Donna Brazile became the temporary chairperson of the DNC. This happened at the start of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Other Work and Activities
University Teaching and Affiliations
Donna Brazile has served on various boards, including the National Democratic Institute (NDI). This group works to make sure elections are fair around the world. She even helped monitor elections in Kenya in 2022.
Brazile has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park. She was also a fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics. She is currently a professor of Women and Gender Studies at Georgetown University. She is also on the advisory board for the Mock Convention at Washington and Lee University.
Commentator
Donna Brazile used to be a regular contributor and political commentator on CNN shows like The Situation Room and New Day. She also appeared on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. She was often part of Anderson Cooper's team of political experts during election night coverage on CNN.
Brazile is also the founder of Brazile and Associates. She contributes to NPR's Political Corner and ABC News. She paused her work with CNN and ABC to serve as the temporary DNC chair. In October 2016, CNN announced that she had resigned from her role as a contributor.
In March 2019, Brazile became a contributor for Fox News. She said she was happy to join Fox News, even though some other Democrats might not agree with her decision.
Author
Donna Brazile has written for Ms. Magazine and Roll Call. In 2004, she published her book, Cooking with Grease – Stirring the Pots in American Politics. This book tells the story of her life and work in politics.
Brazile also co-authored another book in 2018 called For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics. She wrote this book with Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore. It shares their combined history and life stories in politics.
Hacks: The Inside Story
In 2017, Donna Brazile released her book, Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House. The book shares her experiences during the 2016 election. It talks about how the campaign was managed.
In a part of the book published in Politico magazine, Brazile wrote about an agreement between the Clinton campaign and the DNC. She later clarified in an interview that she found no evidence that the Democratic primary elections were unfair.
Personal Life
Donna Brazile is a Catholic. She once said that as a child, she wanted to be a priest. However, she did not pursue this dream after her mother told her that girls could not be priests.
