- Transition «
Parties Recalibrate: Race
for DNC Chair
Democratic National
Committee
February 25, 2017
Tom Perez Elected Chair of the Democratic National Committee
ATLANTA – Today at the DNC’s Winter Meeting in Atlanta, DNC members from across the country elected Tom Perez to serve as Chair of the DNC.Chair Tom Perez said, “We are at a turning point for our party and for all Americans. As I often say, this is a ‘Where were ya?’ moment. Years from now our children and grandchildren will ask us, ‘Where were you when Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans attacked our values as a party and a country?’ I want to be able to say I did everything in my power to fight back.
“That's why I got in this race - because January 20th was an important day, but January 21st was an even more important day. Millions of Americans stood up to say: Mr. President, your values are not our values.
“By getting back to basics, we can turn the Democratic Party around, take the fight to Donald Trump, and win elections from school board to the Senate.
“I’m humbled by this opportunity to lead our team, and that’s exactly what we’ll do together.”
Tom Perez is a proven leader who has spent his life standing up for progressive values and making real change happen at the local, statewide, and national levels.
From putting himself through college on the back of a garbage truck to rebuilding the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor, Tom has never shied away from a challenge. He has faced some of the toughest fights like taking on Wall Street, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and special interests - and won.
Tom wants to bring that fighting spirit and his proven record of turning around complex organizations to the DNC.
Tom lives in Takoma Park, Maryland - in the same house he lived in when he was the first Latino elected to the Montgomery County Council - with his wife, Ann Marie and three children.
Outgoing DNC Chair Donna Brazile said: “I’m honored to pass the gavel on to Tom Perez, a dynamic leader who I know will be a champion for our party and a fighter for our values. We are Democrats because we believe that every American deserves access to a good job with good pay, affordable health care, a secure retirement, and a quality education for their children. We are Democrats because we believe in the values of equality, opportunity, and justice for all Americans, no matter their background. I know that Tom Perez believes in these things, and I look forward to watching our party grow under his/her leadership. I am confident that together, we will be able to unify Americans around our shared values and elect Democrats up-and-down the ballot who will fight for those values and resist the harmful Trump-GOP agenda.
“While it will be bittersweet for me to leave this job and this tremendous organization, I’m confident that the future of the Democratic Party will be in good hands with Tom Perez. And I want to congratulate all of the candidates for a race well run.”
In the lead up to the Winter Meeting, the DNC held the most open and transparent officer election in party history. The DNC held four regional forums for DNC members and the public to hear from candidates for officer positions of Chair, Vice Chair At-Large, Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation, Secretary, Treasurer, and National Finance Chair. About half of the 447 DNC members attended one of our regional forums in person. All of these forums were open to the public and livestreamed on social media, and have since been posted in full on the DNC’s website.
###
Republican National Committee
February 25, 2017
"The Democrat Party has lost touch with the American people. Voters spoke loud and clear last November that they wanted a change in Washington and to reverse the failed policies of the last eight years. Families across the country are tired of skyrocketing premiums when they were promised affordable health care. They're tired of the Obama Economy that's left too many behind. President Trump and Republican representatives heard the voters' message loud and clear, and now hold a near historic number of offices across the country. By selecting a D.C. insider, Democrats only create deeper divisions within their own party by pushing a far left agenda that rejects a majority of their base outside Washington. The DNC would be well-served to learn from two straight election cycle losses, encourage the leaders in their party to listen to what the voters want, and get to work with Republicans to fix the mess they created."
February 25, 2017
RNC Statement On Democrats Electing Tom Perez DNC Chair
WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement on Democrats electing Tom Perez as the new DNC Chair:"The Democrat Party has lost touch with the American people. Voters spoke loud and clear last November that they wanted a change in Washington and to reverse the failed policies of the last eight years. Families across the country are tired of skyrocketing premiums when they were promised affordable health care. They're tired of the Obama Economy that's left too many behind. President Trump and Republican representatives heard the voters' message loud and clear, and now hold a near historic number of offices across the country. By selecting a D.C. insider, Democrats only create deeper divisions within their own party by pushing a far left agenda that rejects a majority of their base outside Washington. The DNC would be well-served to learn from two straight election cycle losses, encourage the leaders in their party to listen to what the voters want, and get to work with Republicans to fix the mess they created."
###
Copyright © 2017 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action.
All rights reserved.