in the 1930s, louchheim used their home in georgetown to network. she raised funds for the democratic national committee (dnc). while fundraising for fdr's 1940 presidential campaign, she came to know eleanor roosevelt. in 1948 (and 1952), she was a dnc delegate for washington, dc, and seconded the nomination for helen gahagan douglas. in 1949, she became a member of the washington, dc, committee of the dnc. by 1953, she was heading the dnc's office of women's activities, succeeding india edwards. by 1956, she had become dnc vice chair for daisy harriman, which she held through 1960. also in 1956, she accompanied adlai stevenson ii on his campaign for the presidency. in 1960, robert f. kennedy "booted" her from the dnc; instead, she campaigned for jfk.