HuffPost's OffTheBus members produced these superdelegate profiles as part of its Superdelegate Investigation. You can find all profiles here.
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Superdelegate name
Gilda Cobb-Hunter
Basic Bio
*Gilda Cobb-Hunter graduated from Florida A&M University in 1993.
*She received her MA from Florida State University in 1978.
*She is a licensed social worker in SC.
*Her bio can be found at http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bios/0372727228.html
Involvement in the Democratic Party
*Gilda Cobb-Hunter has been a South Carolina State Representative since 1992.
*She was elected the Democrats caucus leader in 1998. Source: [directorysurf.info]
Personal political interests and issues
*Gilda Cobb-Hunter is a social worker as well as a SC State Representative.
*Other areas in which she is interested include Health-Care Disparities Research.
Connections to politicians, leaders on state level
*After the election of Democrat Donald W. Beatty to the S.C. Supreme Court yesterday, the former House Minority Leader (and driving force behind the suddenly omnipotent S.C. Legislative Black Caucus) Gilda Cobb-Hunter is by far and away the most powerful politician in the State of South Carolina.
*With the Republican majority officially in splinters, Cobb-Hunter's influence in Palmetto politics is at its zenith. Not only is she widely credited for getting current House Speaker Bobby Harrell his job to begin with, she may well have just punched the ticket for his would-be replacement, Rep. Harry Cato, who we hear is already being referred to around the S.C. State House as "Gilda's Speaker Pro Tempore."
*This information was found at http://www.fitsnews.com/2007/05/24/introducing-speaker-cobb-hunter/
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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Don Fowler
Basic Bio
*Don Fowler, born 1935, is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
*He received a BA in psychology from Wofford College and a MA and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in political science.
*He began teaching at the University of South Carolina in 1964, where he continues as an adjunct professor of American Politics in the Department of Political Science.
*He is the Chairman of the Board of Fowler Communication, Inc., and advertising and public relations firm, and of Khare/Fowler Incorporated, a government relations firm.
*Mr. Fowler served for 30 years in the United States Army as an active duty officer and reservist. He retired in 1987.
*He is a member of the Washington Street United Methodist Church and a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
http://www.cas.sc.edu/usi/Speakers.htm
Involvement in the Democratic party
*Don served as Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Part for nine years from 1971-1980, as CEO of the Democratic National Convention held in Atlanta in 1988.
http://www.cas.sc.edu/usi/Speakers.htm
*He was Democratic National Committee National Chairman from 1995 to 1997.
Personal political interests and issues.
*After Fowler's term as chair, he was accused of contacting the CIA to protect a fugitive businessman, Roger Tamraz, who had donated money to the Democratic party.
*Fowler remains active in Democratic politics as a member of the DNC.
*In 2006, he opposed adding multiple presidential primaries or caucuses between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, despite the support of most DNC members.
*Following the 2006 midterm elections, in response to James Carville's efforts to remove Howard Dean as chair, Fowler e-mailed his fellow DNC members, saying, "Some ill-advised voices have suggested that, because of his 50-state strategy, Governor Dean should be replaced as Chair of the DNC. This is nonsense. The 50-state strategy is exactly what the Democratic Party needed and continues to need.... Democrats won a great victory on November 7--control of the United States House of Representatives, control of the United States Senate, majority of Governors, and majority of state legislative bodies. Why should anyone want to mess with the team that won these remarkable results? Governor Dean deserves to continue as DNC Chair."
*Fowler served as a delegate from South Carolina to the 2000 and 2004 Democratic National Conventions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Fowler
Involvement in 2008 election-campaign appearnaces, statements
*Don Fowler, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Wednesday endorsed U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York for president in 2008. http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2007/12/don-fowler-endo.html
Contributions to candidates
*He donated $3,000 in the Q3/07 to the Christopher Dodd campaign.
www.huffingtonpost.com/fundrace
Family's Involement in Politics, the Democratic Party
*Don Fowler's wife, Carol Fowler is the current Chairwoman of the SC State Democratic party.
*His son, Donnie Fowler has achieved a leading role in both political and high technology circles through his work in Silicon Valley, in Washington as part of the Clinton Administration, and on the ground helping Democratic campaigns in more than a dozen states over the last twenty years. He has advised dozens of companies, policymakers, public advocacy groups, and political campaigns on how to successfully manage their media, policy, business development, and technology agendas. And he has made frequent appearances in local and national media on political and technology issues. Fowler currently runs Fowler&Crumley, a technology, media, and grassroots business based in California
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donnie-fowler/#blogger_bio
*Fowler's son, Donnie Fowler, ran unsuccessfully for DNC chair in 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Fowler
Connections to Politicians, Leaders on state level
*Fowler and his communications agency have handled state and federal government relations projects for a diverse group of clients. He also has carried out marketing studies, advertising, public relations and marketing programs for national and international clients.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Fowler
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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Sharon Stroschein
State Chair
South Carolina
Basic Bio
* Since 9/11,she has served on the board of The Rural America Patriot Fund.This fund,would raise money from the sale of cattle,and agricultural commodities, to help run the government, during a devastating terrorist attack.
Involvement in the Democratic Party
* Stroschein Prior to being committed to Obama, Stroschein, made this statement to The Argus-Leader,of Sioux Fall, SD: "I can go right to the floor that day uncommitted and choose whomever I wish."In the same article,she said,she has never seen an election like this: "I am so excited. People know I am a Democrat, and Republicans come up to me and tell me they are tired of George Bush. It seems like it is kind of like a cleaning for them."
Sources
http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=103575&keyword=&phrase=&contain=
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/iolabult/gGgGxv
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/COLUMNISTS0102/802110311/1001/news
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/10/07/State/Florida_faces_a_prima.shtml
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-19-2001/0001596590&EDATE=
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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