The Democratic party didn’t only lose the presidency; they also lost the battle to retake the Senate and the House of Representatives. Resulting in the Republican party now having control over Washington, putting the Democrats in a difficult governing position. Previous to the election many Democrats(and even Republicans) were expecting the Democrats to win the Senate, maybe even the House but, that didn’t even come close to happening. Now the Democratic party is suffering devastating losses all over the country, division and a new position of powerlessness. Since the previous DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned a couple of months the DNC has, for better or for worse, been leaderless.
They need to find a way to move forward in these difficult times. One of the keys to uniting the party so that they can start focusing on the midterms in two years and the 2020 election is to pick a new leader of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).This person will face the daunting tasks of resolving the internal conflicts within the DNC and leading them into a more united future.
Moreover, this person will have to of repair the damage that this election did, and figure out what kind of party the Democratic party will be in the future.Although the chair doesn’t have that much power over policy matters or the ideological aspects of the party the chair will still be one of the most powerful people in the Democratic party as a whole. Considering, the chair is responsible for extremely important things such as fundraising, building infrastructure and being a messenger in the party, the chair still is one of the most powerful positions within the Democratic party as a whole.
There is currently a battle going on between the moderate and the progressive side of the Democratic party. The two sides have different visions for the Democratic party’s future and want to use the new DNC chair to move the party in their preferred direction.
One of the most popular candidates for the position is Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison who has become the progressive wing’s favorite. He has support from Bernie Sanders, Harry Reid, and Elizabeth Warren as well as over 30 other Democrats. Ellis announced his candidacy on the 14th of November and in his announcement he said this about the future “Democrats win when we harness the power of everyday people and fight for the issues they care about.” He is the likely choice for the position as chair and would be the first Muslim to hold the position, which could be important in a time when Muslims are being discriminated against, attacked and fear for their future, because representation matters.
Another contender is Howard Dean, who held the position as DNC chair between the years of 2005 and 2009. Although he, undoubtedly, has a lot of experience I don’t think that he is the kind of leader that the DNC needs right now.
If there is anything that we have learned from this election, it is that the American people want change and the fact that Trump was the one offering that won him the election. So, in a time when the Democratic party needs to adapt to a new electorate and a working class that demands attention they need a new kind of leader.
There are a few other names that have been discussed such as Labor Secretary Tom Perez and New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman and DNC Vice Chair Ray Buckley. However, Ellis and Dean are the two major candidates who have officially announced that they are running.
Furthermore, the DNC need to harness the enthusiasm that the Bernie campaign created and appeal to the Democrats who didn’t vote for Hillary. For that, I think that they need a progressive leader like Ellis, who I believe will be able to unite the party in a better way than the other candidates.
Which one of the candidates that the Democrats choose as the next DNC chair will be revealed on the 30th of November, and until then the DNC remains leaderless.
