MOSELEY-BRAUN, CAROL

born Aug. 16, 1947, Chicago, Ill., U.S. Carol Moseley-Braun, 1992. ne Carol Moseley Democratic senator from Illinois who, in 1992, became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Carol Moseley attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (B.A., 1969) and received a law degree from the University of Chicago (1972). She married Michael Braun in 1973 (divorced 1986) and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney before her election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1978. During her 10 years there she became known for her advocacy of health-care and education reform and gun control. She was named assistant leader for the Democratic majority. In 198892, Moseley-Braun served as Cook county (Illinois) recorder of deeds. Displeased with U.S. Senator Alan Dixon's support of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, she ran against Dixon in the 1992 Democratic primary. Though poorly financed, she won an upset victory over Dixon on her way to capturing a seat in the Senate. Shortly after becoming senator, Moseley-Braun won clashes with Southern senators over a patent for a Confederate insignia. She was noted for her support of individual retirement accounts for homemakers and for filibustering to restore budget monies for youth job training and for senior citizens. Her record was tarnished, however, by her helping to ease legal restrictions on the sale of two television broadcasting companies, by lavish personal spending of campaign money, and by her favouring legislation to benefit a corporate campaign donor. She also was criticized for associating with two Nigerian military dictators. Moseley-Braun lost her seat in the 1998 election to her Republican challenger, Peter Fitzgerald, but in 1999 she was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand.