Braun U.S. Senate

Black and white photograph of a woman's head in the center with blue text around the outer edge

Carol Mosley Braun began her political career in 1978 as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.  Prior to her appointment, Braun was a prosecuting attorney for the United States Attorney's office in Chicago from 1973 to 1977.  Braun served as a United States Senator for Illinois from 1993 to 1999, making her the first female Senator from Illinois as well as the first African-American female to serve in the Senate.  Braun's Senatorial race was not without controversy, in 1993 the Federal Election Commission investigated Braun for over $249,000 of unaccounted-for campaign funds.  Braun proved it was all accounting errors and was not officially charged.  After her term as a Senator, she worked under President Bill Clinton from 1999-2001 as the Ambassador to New Zealand.