Why Rahm Emanuel Should Be Deemed the Most Influential Person of 2006

Democrats swept to stunning victories across the country in the November 2006 Congressional midterm elections, regaining majority status in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1994, when Republicans won similar victories to end four decades of Democratic control in the Congress. The Democratic sweep, though, was a result of more than just distaste for the Iraq war. It was the end product of a long, well planned strategy developed and executed by Rahm Emanuel.

Born November 29, 1959, Rahm Emanuel has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since he was sworn into office in 2003. He represents the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, which includes parts of Chicago and Cook County.

Prior to his election to the House in 2002, Representative Emanuel had what would be characterized as a pretty unremarkable political career. He had worked with consumer rights organization Illinois Public Action, Democrat Paul Simon, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and President Bill Clinton, who he served as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy.

Nicknamed "Rahmbo," he was chosen to be the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 elections because of his aggressiveness, intensity, and adeptness at fundraising. Emanuel's selection for this position proved to be critical to the success of Democratic candidates across the country.

As chairman of the Democrats' House campaign strategy, Emanuel was responsible for recruiting candidates and raising funds to help secure a new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. In this capacity, Emanuel urged incumbents to adopt more centrist positions on important and divisive issues, recognizing that an appeal solely to the Democratic base would not be sufficient to ensure victory. Emanuel also specifically targeted the ever-increasing moderate and centrist voting population by selecting conservative Democrats as candidates for the House, making for a more appealing choice as Americans headed to the voting booths.