HuffPost's OffTheBus members produced these superdelegate profiles as part of its Superdelegate Investigation. You can find all profiles here.
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Joseph J. (Joe) Andrew
Former Chairman of the DNC and Former Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party.
Indiana
Basic Bio
* Joseph J. Andrew, 48, grew up on a farm near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and received his bachelor's and law degrees from Yale University.
* After spending time on Wall Street, he returned to Indiana, where he got involved in politics in 1984.(1)
* Referred to as "the humble man with the golden rolodex" because of his friendships with CEOs and labor leaders across America
* Is a life-long Democrat who served as the Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party from 1995-1999.
* Andrew became the youngest DNC chair in party history when he took the reins in 1999 (at the request of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and the Democratic leaders of Congress).
* Under Andrew, the DNC rose out of debt, implemented new technologies and grassroots mobilization efforts, and raised more than $225 million.
* Andrew is the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of The Blue Fund, a mutual fund which invests in companies meeting standards of social responsibility, environmental sustainability, community participation and respect for human rights.
* Currently a partner with the law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP in Washington, DC in the Corporate and Securities, Venture Capital and Public Law & Policy Strategies practice groups.(2)
Political interests and issues
* Served as the Chairman of the DNC during the Florida recount and is often asked to speak about the integrity of the voting process and current legislative efforts to regulate and promote new voting technologies.(3)
Involvement in the Democratic Party
* While never running for nor holding elected office, Andrew is a former DNC National Chair, Indiana State Democratic Chair, and was deeply involved in the 2000 Florida recount.
Pledged Status
* Andrew is one of five Indiana superdelegates pledged to Hillary Clinton out of thirteen from that state. Two are pledged to Sen. Barack Obama. The Indiana Primary is scheduled for May 6, 2008. There are 85 delegates from Indiana going to Denver for the convention.(4)
Involvement in the 2008 Election
* Andrew formally endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton in November of 2007.
Sources:
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/06/AR2006030601444.html
(2) http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4110
(3) http://www.nationalmajority.org/advisory.html
(4) http://www.demconvention.com/delegate-map/ and http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/IN-D.phtml
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please join the Superdelegate Transparency Project and update the profile there.
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Phoebe Crane
Whitestown, Indiana
Basic Bio
*Born, in Chicago, IL, Phoebe Crane did her undergraduate work at Hanover College, Hanover, IN and earned a Master's degree at Rhode Island College, Providence, RI.
*Crane taught handicapped children and also in a day care center in Uptown in Chicago. She has also done various volunteer work in Indianapolis and is a member of the Democratic National Committee.
*Crane has been married to Steve Crane for 39 years and they have three grown sons: Matthew, 32; Andrew, 29; and, Colin, 26.
Involvement in the Democratic Party
*She has been involved in politics all her life, and worked for the Bobby Kennedy campaign in 1968.
*She has always been active in Democratic politics, supporting Evan Bayh in Indiana and other Democrats, including Bill Clinton and John Kerry.
Personal Political Interests And Issues
She has done extensive volunteer work in the community.
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please join the Superdelegate Transparency Project and update the profile there.
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Cordelia Lewis-Burks
Vice Chairwoman of the State Democratic Party
Indiana
Basic Bio
* Cordelia Lewis Burks was born in the coal mining area of Eastern Kentucky
* Graduate of West Virginia State College
* Former model for Saks Fifth Avenue
* Is a licensed practical nurse
* Husband is Jesse Lewis Burks, a retired pharmacist
* Burks is a mother and grandmother
* Began as a Democratic Party volunteer and worked way up to become chairwoman of the former Tenth Congressional District
* Worked from 1960 to 1980 in the nursing and administration at Central State Hospital
* Worked with the unions in 1980 with the Indiana State AFL-CIO as its first African American staff representative
* Spent six years with the Indiana AFL-CIO as director of labor education and director of community services and directing the state federation's programs of Volunteers in Politics and labor education
* Accepted a position in Washington, D.C. as the Civil Rights Director for the Service Employees International Union
* In 1988, became the first black female business agent for Local 135 of the Teamsters Union
* 1989 Burks became Director of the Politics and Legislation Division of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees International Union of Indiana in 2005 and served as AFSCME's chief lobbyist in Indiana, a post held for over sixteen years. In this position, Burks was the union's chief lobbyist in Indiana and traveled the nation working in campaigns and providing political education training programs for union members.
* Also served Governor Frank O'Bannon as a member of the 317 Task Force for Development Disabilities and was a member of the board of the Central Indiana Community Services Council.
Political interests and issues
* Civil Rights
* Labor advocacy
* Has directed the nonpartisan Operation Big Vote, a program directed to increasing the numbers of minority voters
Involvement in the Democratic Party
* Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2000, 2004
* Vice Chairwoman of the State Democratic Party of Indiana
* Currently a mayoral appointee to the Indianapolis Police Merit Board and a former member of Indianapolis Board of Public Safety
* Awards and press coverage includes: The Indiana Christian Leadership Conference Award, The Keeper of the Flame Award of the NAACP, The Martin Luther King Award of the Indianapolis Education Association, The National Coalition of Black Trade Unionists' Sojourner Truth Award, The Rosina Tucker Award of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, One of Indiana's Trailblazing Women, Indianapolis NAACP "Shero", The Woman of Achievement award of the Indianapolis YWCA, 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award and the Golden K Award of the Kimball High School Alumni Association, The Larry Castaldi Award for Service by the Indiana Association of the United Way, The Earl T. Shinhoster Political Award by the Indiana Branch of the NAACP, Finalist by the Indiana Commission for Women as a 2004 Torchbearer,
* Board of directors positions: Children's Museum of Indianapolis, National A. Philip Randolph Institute, The Indiana Women Historical Society, The Indiana Association of United Way, Member of the national Labor Committee of the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women, Member of the labor roundtable of the National Conference of Black State Legislators, The Indiana Democratic African-American Caucus, The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, The Executive Council of the National Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, The Mayor's Labor Advisory Committee of Indianapolis
Pledged Status
* Burks has pledged to support Senator Barack Obama
Contributions
* Burks has donated $1000 to the Obama campaign according to Fundrace.Huffingtonpost.com
Previous Campaign Work and Experience
* Bill Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign
* Has campaigned for many presidential candidates
State Connections
* In 1990, appointed by Governor Evan Bayh to the Indiana Coal Forum
* Served Governor Frank O'Bannon as a member of the 317 Task Force for Development Disabilities
* Member of the board of the Central Indiana Community Services Council
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please join the Superdelegate Transparency Project and update the profile there.
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Dan Parker
Indianapolis, Indiana
Basic Bio
*Dan Parker, age 37, lives in Indianapolis, and is married with two children ages 7 and 9. He was born and raised in Braintree, MA "The home of the Adams's boys," as in Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
*He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Involvement in the Democratic Party
*Mr. Parker was elected Indiana Democratic state chair in 2004, was re-elected in March 2005, and now works full-time as the Democratic state chair.
*Although Mr. Parker has never held elective office, he has been very active in the campaigns of several local candidates.
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please join the Superdelegate Transparency Project and update the profile there.
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Robert Pastrick
Former Mayor, East Chicago
Basic Bio
* Elected mayor of East Chicago, Indiana in 1971 at the age of 44, and held the post until 2004.
* Toward the end of his mayoral career, he was the target of a civil racketeering suit in which he was accused of using public funds intended for a streets and curbs project to sway political influence.
* Was once touted as the last "city boss" in American politics. http://nwitimes.com/articles/2004/08/26/news/top_news/c3a1dba770573a6586256efc000b8429.txt)
Involvement in the 2008 Election
* Has pledged support to Hillary Clinton. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/LOCAL19/80312037/0/ENTERTAINMENT01
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please send an email to campaigntrail@huffingtonpost.com with "superdelegate profile" in the subject line. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project.
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Connie Thurman
Democratic National Committee member
Indiana
Basic Bio
* Political representative for the United Auto Workers. - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS05/803060462/1008/LOCAL19
* Community Action Program representative for the UAW. - http://www.uaw.org/about/officers/thurman.html
* Became a superdelegate when her husband, Terry Thurman, took a vice president job at UAW Headquarters in Detroit, and she was asked to fill the DNC spot. - South Bend Tribune: 'Super' 12 or 13 Could Tip the Scale
* Husband, Terry, has represented UAW members in every sector of the union in collective bargaining, political action and community service. - http://www.uaw.org/about/officers/thurman.html
Political interests and issues
* As a Community Action Program representative, supports the UAW's goal to elect candidates who stand with the UAW on these issues: health care for all, fair-trade agreements that include labor and environmental standards, and workers' right to organize. - http://www.uaw.org/cap/08/issues/index.php
* Has been on the Board of Trustees of the Public Employees' Retirement Fund whose goal is to provide secure, long-term pension benefits for residents of Indiana who choose careers in public service. - http://209.85.207.104/search?q=cache:eOnwbQOVcK4J:www.in.gov/perf/pdf/agency/boardmin091704.pdf+%22connie+thurman%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us&client=firefox-a http://www.in.gov/perf/agency/agency_overview.html
Involvement in the Democratic Party
* Pledged support to John Kerry in 2004. - http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P04/IN-D.phtml
Involvement in the 2008 Election
* Pledged to Barack Obama - March 6, 2008.
* Says Obama called her four times before she pledged to him, and Hillary Clinton didn't call once until after she showed support for Obama. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-06-indiana-primary_N.htm
Contributions to Candidates
* Contributed $300 to the United Auto Workers in 2007, but nothing directly to a candidate. - http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/connie-thurman.asp?cycle=08
Family's Involvement in Politics, the Democratic Party
* Husband, Terry Thurman, has served as a Democratic Party county chairperson, a member of the Democratic National Committee and as a delegate to state and national Democratic Party conventions. - http://www.uaw.org/about/officers/thurman.html
This profile was produced through HuffPost's OffTheBus Superdelegate Investigation. All profiles will be donated to the Superdelegate Transparency Project. If you have information that should be added to this profile, please join the Superdelegate Transparency Project and update the profile there.
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