(1813–61), US lawyer and politician; known as the Little Giant. An Illinois Democrat, he was a member of the US House of Representatives 1843–47 and US Senate 1847–61. He is best remembered for the Lincoln-Douglas debates, a series of seven senatorial-campaign debates in 1858 with Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln. He won the Senate seat in 1858, but lost his 1860 bid for the presidency to Lincoln.