LEXINGTON, Va. -- Students at Washington and Lee University have announced the speakers for the 2008 Centennial Democratic Mock Convention, to be held on January 25 and 26 in historic Lexington, Virginia.

Virginia U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, formerly the first Naval Academy graduate to serve in the military and become Secretary of the Navy, worked extensively as an author, screenwriter, and producer before turning the balance of power in the Senate to the Democrats with his election in 2006. He delivered the Democratic Response to President Bush’s latest State of the Union Address.

Former Texas U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson represented the people of Texas’s 2nd District from 1973 to 1997, after attaining the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and serving for 12 years in the Texas state legislature. He is most known for his influence in winning U.S. support for Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union in the Cold War, the subject of the recent film Charlie Wilson’s War.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the 70th governor of Virginia, taught legal ethics at the University of Richmond Law School before entering public life in 1994. He was elected to the Richmond City Council for four terms, including two terms as the Mayor of Richmond and became Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2001.

Former Georgia U.S. Sen. Max Cleland served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and attained the rank of Captain. After entering politics, he served as a Georgia state senator from 1971 to 1975, administrator of the U.S. Veterans’ Administration from 1977 to 1981, Georgia Secretary of State from 1982 to 1996, and a U.S. Senator from 1996 to 2002.

In 1984, Former New York U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman in American history to be a vice-presidential candidate on a national party ticket. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, she served New York’s 9th District for three terms. In 1994, she was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun is most well known for her candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2004 presidential election. Prior to that, she represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 1999. To date, she is the first and only black female to have served in the U.S. Senate.

Former Tennessee U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., after serving five terms in Congress, is now Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, visiting Professor of Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, and Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch. Ford also serves on the Pentagon's Transformation Advisory Group.

Richmond Mayor L. Doug Wilder, formerly the Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994, has served as the Mayor of Richmond since 2005. He is best known for being the first black governor in American history.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin was elected governor in the 2004 election, after an impressive political career in the West Virginia State Legislature, both as a part of the House of Delegates and the State Senate.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Senator Joe Biden, began his public service at the U.S. Department of Justice in 1995. Since then, he has served as a Federal Prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and as a Captain in the Delaware Army National Guard’s JAG Corps. He was elected Delaware’s Attorney General in 2006.

Texas State Rep. Patrick Rose, at 28, is serving his third term in the Texas House of Representatives and chairs the Committee on Human Services, the youngest chairman in the Texas House. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Texas Law School, he is currently an attorney with the Ratliff Law Firm in Austin.

According to Speakers Chair Logan Gibson, “This January, the Washington and Lee community will gather for its hundredth year of presidential prediction. Our speakers reflect the rich history and bright future of the Democratic Party, and we could not be more excited to feature them as we celebrate our centennial Mock Convention.”

About Mock Convention

Once every four years since 1908, the W&L Mock Convention has attempted to predict the presidential nominee of the party currently out of the White House. With 18 out of 23 correct predictions and only one incorrect prediction since 1948, the convention has been recognized for its unparalleled record of accuracy. This political experiment has drawn prominent speakers and national media to the small liberal arts college hidden in historic Lexington, Virginia. Over 90% of the student body is involved in the three-year preparation process. In a weekend of parades, parties, and politics, the students will simulate the process of the real National Convention.