Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, a former presidential candidate and the first black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, will speak on campus Wednesday.

She will discuss her political career at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. She is visiting Iowa State as the Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics, an honorary position designed to bring in nationally renowned speakers.

Moseley Braun has been called a political pioneer by her supporters.

“Every time a woman runs for president, it opens the door a little wider for a woman to win the race,” said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.

“She was on the primary ballot in 20 states, more than any other woman running for president in recent years. It was a historic run.”

While she ran a fairly extensive campaign, Moseley Braun never rose above the bottom tier of presidential candidates in national polls. Plagued by a lack of financial support, she dropped out of the race Jan. 18 — one day before the Iowa caucuses.

Since then, Braun has been working on the speaking circuit, trying to bring issues like violence against women and equal wages to the national stage.

Braun’s biggest contribution to the race was bringing in a different viewpoint, Bystrom said.

“I thought she brought a different voice to the table, not only as a woman, but as mother and woman of color,” she said. “Throughout the campaign she was widely praised by politicians and members of the media. She made a name for herself by bringing a different voice to the campaign.”

She maintained a small, committed following during her candidacy. Larissa Begley, senior in anthropology and former president of Students for Moseley Braun, said Braun routinely brought issues to the table that the other candidates ignored.

“I think she was a powerful voice in the campaign and brought attention to issues that both parties needed to address, like universal health care, equal rights in gay marriages and affirmative action,” Begley said.

Originally from Chicago, Braun began her political career in 1978 as an Illinois state legislator, where she served until 1987. She was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, becoming the first female senator from Illinois, but lost her re-election bid in 1998.

After her defeat, President Bill Clinton named her as Ambassador to New Zealand from 2000-2001. Since then, she has taught law and political science at Morris Brown College.