Donna Brazile

“Donna Brazile is hard to ignore, given her penchant for candor and 20 years’ experience in the making of Democratic presidential candidates. She feels that getting a candidate elected takes the same artful mix as cooking up a fine gumbo. And her political opinions are as fiery as Tabasco.” The New York Times

Hailing from humble Louisiana roots, Donna Brazile has climbed the political ladder to become one of the most highly respected strategists in the country. One of nine children, she has used her determination, quick wit, and powerful intellect to shatter the glass ceiling in electoral politics, becoming the first African-American woman to lead a major presidential campaign. In fact, she has worked on every presidential campaign since 1984, making history in 2000 when she led the Gore-Lieberman campaign to capture the popular vote. Using that same intellect and wit, she is a dynamic and hugely popular speaker. Represented by Leading Authorities, Brazile uses her varied and diverse experience to address the current state of affairs, from public policy to the challenges facing the Obama administration. A consummate storyteller who fought her first political fight at age nine when she successfully campaigned for a city council candidate who promised a playground in her neighborhood, Donna Brazile connects with each member of her audiences with the intimacy, friendliness, and good humor of a personal conversation.

Powerfully Influential, Powerfully Dedicated. Since then, she has served as chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute, and she is now vice chair of Voter Registration and Participation at the Democratic National Committee. She is also the founder and managing director of Brazile and Associates LLC, a public affairs and grassroots advocacy firm based in Washington, DC. An adjunct professor at Georgetown University, she has also served as a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland, resident fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, and as the Senator Wynona Lipman Chair at Rutgers University Center for American Women in Politics. She was appointed to serve on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, helping to guide her home state’s rebuilding efforts following the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Stirring the Political Pot. Brazile is also the author of Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics, a memoir about her life in politics. She is a nationally syndicated columnist, a political contributor for CNN, a political consultant for ABC News and This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and a regular contributor to NPR’s Political Corner. A columnist for Roll Call and Ms. Magazine, she also co-authored What We Do Now, a collection of essays recalling the 2004 presidential election.

Brazile is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Washingtonian magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, DC; Essence magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in America; the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Award for Political Achievement; and Ebony’s 150 most influential African Americans in the country. The Daily Telegraph of London named her one of “America’s Most Influential Liberals.”