Party of Five
These women have all been mentioned as major-party presidential possibilities:
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, 56
Current job: US senator (Democrat of New York)
Personal: Married to former president Bill Clinton; one child
Despite the public's memory of her husband's scandals, her own part in his health-care legislation debacle, and accusations that her move to New York was carpetbagging, Clinton handily won her 2000 Senate race. Raised in Illinois, she's a graduate of Wellesley College and Yale Law School. She's been active on the Committee on Armed Services and gets fairly favorable bipartisan reviews from colleagues. Clinton is a star fund-raiser for the John Kerry campaign, and if he loses in November, expect her to make a bid for the White House in 2008.
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, 61
Current job: US senator (Republican of Texas)
Personal: Married to attorney Ray Hutchison; two children
Hutchison has deep roots in Texas her great-great-grandfather signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. After graduating from law school, she covered politics as a Houston TV reporter in the 1970s. She jumped from Texas state treasurer to US senator, fending off corruption charges in 1993, to become a strong voice in national security and foreign policy issues. Her second term is up in 2006. If President Bush loses in November, a 2006 Texas gubernatorial run seems likely. If Bush wins, a 2008 presidential run is possible.
NANCY PELOSI, 64
Current job: US representative (Democrat of California's Eighth District), House minority leader
Personal: Married to investor Paul Pelosi; five children
Pelosi wields influence as the Democrats' leader in the House of Representatives, and she's set on being the first woman speaker of the House (third in the line of presidential succession) if the Democrats take back the chamber in November. Pelosi is known for distilling her party's message into pithy sound bites, often fighting words aimed at the Bush administration's Iraq policies. Her father was a congressman and Baltimore's mayor. She got her start by hosting Democratic events in the 1960s. Her age and liberal reputation may hurt her chances, but she's enjoying increasing media buzz.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, 49
Current job: National security adviser (Republican)
Personal: Single with no children
Rice was a schoolgirl in Birmingham, Alabama, during the civil rights unrest in the 1960s. An only child, she was a precocious pianist and student who later got a doctorate in international affairs. Rice served six years as Stanford provost. A trusted adviser to the president, she's known for her confidence and intellect. Her cultured air, single status, and connection to the oil industry (Chevron named a tanker after her) may be strikes against her, but if she follows up her current post with a Senate run in a Southern state or California, she'll remain on the national stage.
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, 56
Current job: Governor of Kansas (Democrat)
Personal: Married to magistrate Gary Sebelius; two children
Sebelius pulled a shocker by winning a 2002 gubernatorial race in overwhelmingly Republican Kansas after serving two terms as state insurance commissioner. She raised more than $4 million, a state record, and garnered substantial crossover votes from frustrated Republicans with her message of educational improvement and fiscal responsibility. Her name was bandied as running-mate material for Kerry, in part because of her connections to the battleground state of Ohio. The daughter of onetime Ohio governor John Gilligan, she married the son of a Kansas congressman. She's still unknown to most of the country, but her stock has surged of late. 