Carol Moseley Braun ended her historic bid for the Democratic presidential nomination today and endorsed Democratic front-runner Howard Dean. “When women run, when people of color run, we open up the possibility that women and people of color can win,” said Moseley Braun at a press conference this afternoon. “I have a record of building bridges, bringing people together, and breaking barriers, and I am proud of my role in breaking new ground with this campaign.”
Moseley Braun was endorsed by two leading women’s organizations – the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus. “Just as Sally Ride and Mae Jemison gave little girls hope that they could be scientists and space explorers, Carol Moseley Braun opened the door wider for girls and women to believe that they had a role and a say in the political process right here on earth,” said NOW President Kim Gandy. In 1992 she made political history as the first African-American woman elected to the US Senate. She lost her 1998 Senate race and was appointed by President Clinton to be Ambassador to New Zealand.
