He was an American union leader, one of the founding members of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies), and five-time Socialist Party of America candidate for President of the United States. Through his presidential candidacies, as well as his work with labor movements, Debs became one of the best known socialists to live in the United States.
Early in his political career, Debs was a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected Democrat to the Indiana General Assembly in 1884. After working with several smaller unions, including the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Debs was instrumental in founding the American Railway Union (ARU), one of the first industrial unions in the country.