Paul G. Kirk, Jr.

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Paul G. Kirk Jr. (born 1938) was chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 1985 to 1989.

Kirk attended The Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, MA and graduated from St. Sebastian's School, class of 1956. He served as an assistant to Senator Ted Kennedy from 1969-1977. In 1983, he was named Treasurer of the Democratic Party.

In 1985, Kirk was elected as chairman of the DNC despite opposition from Virginia Governor Chuck Robb and a group of southern state Democrats who went on to form the Democratic Leadership Council.[1] Under Kirk's chairmanship the Democrats regained control of the Senate in the 1986 mid-term elections, which had been under a Republican majority since the 1980 elections. Kirk resigned shortly following Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush's victory over Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis in the the 1988 Presidential Election. He was succeeded by Ron Brown as DNC chair. On May 2, 2008 Paul Kirk formally pledged his superdelegate vote to Barack Obama.[2] He has six nieces (Paula Cleary, Kate Cleary, Mikaela McDermott, Beth McDermott, Katharine Kirk, and Molly Kirk) as well as two nephews (Bill Cleary III and Andrew McDermott).

Preceded by
Charles Taylor Manatt		 Democratic National Committee Chairman
1985–1988		 Succeeded by
Ron Brown


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Rae, Nicol C. (1994). Southern Democrats. Oxford University Press, 113. ISBN 0195087097. 
  2. ^ Salant, Jonathan D. Former Democratic Party Leader Paul Kirk Backs Obama Bloomberg, May 2 2008
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