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This is the third in a special five-part series, "The Other Contenders." Each installment looks at one Republican and one Democratic presidential candidate who is less well known than the leading competitors.

Dec. 21, 2007

The Other Contenders: Paul and Kucinich

By Bryan Warner

(l-r) Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

RALEIGH – Now just days away from the first round of voting in the 2008 presidential primary season, the N.C. Center for Voter Education brings part three of our special five-part series, “The Other Contenders.”

In this series we profile one Republican and one Democratic candidate who has been overshadowed by the leading competitors in the scrum to be the next commander in chief.  These profiles are not endorsements of any kind, but rather are designed to give voters facts on those candidates who otherwise might be overlooked.

With this installment we feature two members of Congress, often viewed as outsiders from within their own parties, who hope to tap into a grassroots network of support in what some might say is a quixotic run for the White House.

Born in Pennsylvania amid the Great Depression, Republican Ron Paul attended the Duke University School of Medicine. After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, Paul settled in Texas, where he opened his practice as an obstetrician and went on to deliver an estimated 4,000 babies.

Paul has been married to his wife, Carol, for 50 years.  They have five children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In 1976, Paul won a special election to fill a vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but lost the general election just six months later.  He won a re-match in that contest two years after and served in Congress until 1984, when he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. 

Though he was the Libertarian Party’s nominee in the 1988 presidential election, Paul returned to Congress as a Republican in 1996 and has remained there since.

Paul’s political stances are an amalgamation not often seen in contemporary GOP politics: opposition to American involvement in Iraq, opposition to gun control and support of legalizing marijuana. 

His supporters recently contributed $6 million in one day, setting a new record.  And Paul has what no other presidential candidate does: a blimp emblazoned with his name.  The aircraft was recently spotted above the Raleigh cityscape on its way to New Hampshire in advance of that state’s crucial primary.

Though his campaign may not boast of a blimp, Democrat Dennis Kucinich shares in common with Paul the role of frequent party maverick and a passionate call for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Born in Ohio as the eldest of seven children, Kucinich’s childhood was marked by frequent moves.  Often struggling financially, his family lived in some 21 places during his youth. There were several periods when they called a car home. He and his siblings spent five months living in an orphanage when their mother fell ill.

At age 17, Kucinich struck out on his own and worked his way through Case Western University, where he earned a master’s degree in speech communications. In 1969, he won a seat on the Cleveland City Council. Eight years later, Kucinich was elected as the mayor of that city.  At 31 years old, he was the youngest mayor of any major city in the nation.

Kucinich won a campaign to the Ohio Senate in 1994 and two years later moved on to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is now serving his sixth term.  He has been married to his wife, Elizabeth, since 2005.

During his time in Congress, Kucinich has sponsored legislation aimed at creating universal health care and abolishing the death penalty.  He has proposed a federal Department of Peace, called for repealing the USA Patriot Act and has advocated for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

This is Kucinich’s second bid for the White House in as many presidential elections.

Aside from their respective field of opponents, both Kucinich and Paul face a formidable foe in 2008 -- history.  Just one sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives has ever been elected president: James Garfield, 127 years ago.

Bryan Warner is the director of communications with the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.