DAGR, Weigh In On DPCA Vote for DNC Chair
Donna Brazile holds the line and gavel till new DNC Chair is elected in February 2017
The race is heating up for DNC Chair. First out the gate just after the November election were Keith Ellison, congressman from Minnesota, and Howard Dean, who served in the post from 2005 to 2009. By December 2, Dean had dropped out of the race, citing other priorities as well as a possibly divisive race. However, he’s back in, or at least in the shortlist on the Dems Abroad website.
Ellison, the first Muslim representative in Congress, is a strong progressive with reputedly high organizing skills. A Sanders supporter in the primary race, he was the front runner until recently. Dean, seen as slightly more establishment than when he first took over the DNC, retains major cred for developing the winning ’50-state strategy’ during his time as chair.
The 50-state strategy, under which DNC placed four organizer/trainers in every state, takes an opposite approach to the ‘key state strategy’ emphasis on a few battlegrounds. ‘Key state’ has not had notable success since the 1990’s, whereas 50-state saw congressional gains in 2006 and laid the groundwork for Obama’s 2008 campaign.
In recent weeks, several other candidates have come forward and received praise, if not endorsements, from the party establishment, including President Obama. The list now includes Xavier Becerra, who takes office in January as California Attorney General; Ray Buckley, NH state party chair; Ruben Gallego, congressman from Phoenix, AZ; Jaime Harrison, SC state chair; Ilyse Hogue, activist now with NARAL , and Tom Perez, current Secretary of Labor.
The links embedded with each name will provide a starting place to look for more info. An explanation of the DNC process is found on the global page of the DA website. DPCA members, that are your country Chair and Vice Chair, will not be voting directly in this decision. DA’s DNC members will, and we helped select them during the global convention last May. The website message is signed by our DNC members, if you’re wondering who they are.
If you’re not sure why this vote is significant, think of the fracas that arose when the last regular DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, was caught with her finger on the scale, so to speak, during the primary race. Since the Convention, Donna Brazile has been pro tem chair, again not without controversy, though less destructive to intra-party relationships.
Now, it’s time to elect a new party leader who can guide Dems back on track for 2018.
Member feedback is being solicited, in the hope that Dems Abroad representatives can vote a solid front at the DNC meeting on Feb. 28. No sense frittering away our clout!
So, read up on the candidates. Choose who you think is best suited. And then weigh in at the DA Voter Help Desk (pink links). The little dialogue box seems like you might report an absentee ballot problem there, so we wrote them a note to that effect. BUT, you CAN just type in a name or your set of ‘qualifications’ for DNC Chair. Go for it! I did! – KL