Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun, also sometimes referred to as Moseley-Braun, is an accomplished American diplomat, politician, and lawyer who made history by representing Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999.
Prior to her Senate tenure, Moseley Braun served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1979 to 1988 and held the position of Cook County Recorder of Deeds from 1988 to 1992.
In 1992, she made a groundbreaking achievement by defeating Senator Alan J. Dixon in a Democratic primary and went on to serve one term in the Senate.
Moseley Braun's impressive career continued as she served as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 1999 to 2001.
She also made a notable bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, although she withdrew from the race prior to the Iowa caucuses.
In 2010, Moseley Braun announced her candidacy for mayor of Chicago to replace retiring incumbent Richard M. Daley, but ultimately placed fourth in a field of six candidates, losing the 2011 election to Rahm Emanuel.
Throughout her illustrious career, Moseley Braun has made history by becoming the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, the first African-American U.S. senator from the Democratic Party, the first woman to defeat an incumbent U.S. senator in a primary, and the first female U.S. senator from Illinois.
In January 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Moseley Braun to serve as a member and chair of the board of directors for the United States African Development Foundation, and she began her tenure in April 2024.
