All but one of the Democratic candidates began their adulthoods in other parties

[Indy Texas]

Hillary Clinton was involved in Republican groups during her early college years.

Lincoln Chafee is the scion of a longtime Republican family and served for eight years as a Republican US Senator and as an independent governor before joining the Democratic Party two years ago.

Bernie Sanders was involved in Vermont's left-wing Liberty Union Party in the 1970s and has served in both houses of Congress as an independent. Even as he runs for the Democratic nomination, he has reaffirmed that he is not officially a Democrat.

Jim Webb was a Republican for many years and served in the Reagan Administration.

Even non-candidate Elizabeth Warren is a former Republican.

This is a striking contrast with the Republican field, where the only candidate with a history outside the GOP is Rick Perry.

Edit: I (like many voters) forgot about Martin O'Malley, who appears to have always been a Democrat.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

You left Martin O'Malley out of your post. Does he have a history with other parties?

[Indy Texas]

You left Martin O'Malley out of your post. Does he have a history with other parties?

Edited. Still, it's rather unusual when even the party frontrunner isn't a "dyed-in-the-wool" party member. Last time that happened would have been with Reagan the former New Deal Democrat.

[Beet]

I'm guess that is one thing O'Malley can definitely run on-- "I'm the only real Democrat in the race."

[Türkisblau]

What is up with this persistent myth that Jim Webb was ever a Republican? People keep bringing it up but there's absolutely no evidence for it. The fact is that Webb was a military man for many years and Virginia has no party registration. A profile I've read about him has said that he's always been a Democrat except he "drifted away" from the party when McGovern was nominated.  

[Mr. Reactionary]

What is up with this persistent myth that Jim Webb was ever a Republican? People keep bringing it up but there's absolutely no evidence for it. The fact is that Webb was a military man for many years and Virginia has no party registration. A profile I've read about him has said that he's always been a Democrat except he "drifted away" from the party when McGovern was nominated.  

I think its just that he was Secretary of the Navy under Reagan. Reagan = Republican, therefore ...

But yet, Virginia totally has no party registration and its great. I voted in the 2009 Dem. Primary, was a delegate to the 2013 state GOP nominating convention and am voting in the Dem. primary 2 days from now.

[IceSpear]

What is up with this persistent myth that Jim Webb was ever a Republican? People keep bringing it up but there's absolutely no evidence for it. The fact is that Webb was a military man for many years and Virginia has no party registration. A profile I've read about him has said that he's always been a Democrat except he "drifted away" from the party when McGovern was nominated.  

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http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/James_Webb_Principles_+_Values.htm

[Skye]

Wasn't Lincoln relatively liberal while he was still a Republican.

Still, nothing beats the fact the Hillary was a Goldwater girl.