How the candidates for DNC chair stack up ahead of Saturday's vote
Democrats will vote Saturday to elect their new party chair—and they’ll keep voting until they get one.
No one expects a winner to be determined on the first ballot in Atlanta, and some observers think as many as four, five or even six ballots will be required to decide the race.
A candidate needs to win a majority of Democratic National Committee’s 447 members, with the lowest-scoring candidates axed one-by-one after the second round.
Here’s a breakdown of the top candidates ahead of the pivotal vote.
Tom PerezThomas Edward PerezClinton’s top five vice presidential picks Government social programs: Triumph of hope over evidence Labor’s ‘wasteful spending and mismanagement” at Workers’ Comp MORE
As former President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaHarris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Five ways America would take a hard left under Joe Biden Valerie Jarrett: ‘Democracy depends upon having law enforcement’ MORE’s Labor Department secretary and a top official at the Justice Department before that, Perez played a major role in the administration’s domestic agenda on issues like the minimum wage and voting rights protection.
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His ties to both Obama and Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE—he made the Democratic presidential nominee’s short list for vice president—made him the favorite among the more establishment wing of the party. Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE and former Attorney General Eric HolderEric Himpton HolderTrump official criticizes ex-Clinton spokesman over defunding police tweet Obama to speak about George Floyd in virtual town hall GOP group launches redistricting site MORE have thrown their support behind their former colleague, as did high-ranking House Democrat Steny HoyerSteny Hamilton HoyerOvernight Health Care: US showing signs of retreat in battle against COVID-19 | Regeneron begins clinical trials of potential coronavirus antibody treatment | CMS warns nursing homes against seizing residents’ stimulus checks Hoyer: House will vote soon on bill to improve ObamaCare Hoyer: Infrastructure package to hit floor this month MORE (Md.).
Earlier this month, Perez claimed support from 180 DNC members. But aides would not release names of his supporters, arguing that they wanted to keep the members free from badgering in the days before the vote.
Perez’s bid got a late boost Thursday when South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison dropped his bid and endorsed Perez. But it remains to be seen whether Harrison’s supporters can help Perez lock up the win.
Keith EllisonKeith Maurice EllisonThe Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what ‘policing’ means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight Officer charged in Floyd’s death considered guilty plea before talks fell apart: report Minnesota AG Keith Ellison says racism is a bigger problem than police behavior; 21 states see uptick in cases amid efforts to reopen MORE
Ellison jumped into the race as the instant frontrunner, positioning himself to carry the baton of the left-wing movement that spawned from the failed presidential bid of Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.).
The Minnesota congressman leads the pack in public support from DNC members. He also made quick work after entering the race of winning a slew of high-profile endorsements from Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE and Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerChuck SchumerOvernight Health Care: US showing signs of retreat in battle against COVID-19 | Regeneron begins clinical trials of potential coronavirus antibody treatment | CMS warns nursing homes against seizing residents’ stimulus checks Schumer requests briefing with White House coronavirus task force as cases rise Schumer on Trump’s tweet about 75-year-old protester: He ‘should go back to hiding in the bunker’ MORE.
Most recently, he won the backing of another former DNC rival, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley, who dropped out last weekend.
The first Muslim elected to Congress, Ellison helps lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus and emerged as one of Sanders’ top surrogates on both the campaign trail and the DNC platform committee. That made him into a darling of Sanders supporters and allies, who have gone all in on his campaign.
But that support, along with Perez’s backing from the Obama and Clinton orbit, has hardened battle lines among Democrats who see the race as a continuation of the 2016 primary fight.
Sally Boynton Brown
One of the two female candidates in the race, Boynton Brown cut her teeth as a member of the Idaho Democratic Party.
The state’s executive director, she’s playing up her red-state experience in the wake of the party’s weak showing in battleground states and calling for a more collaborative party organization.
She’s one of the handful of candidates touting an outside-the-Beltway background, but lacks the national profile of her other rivals.
Pete Buttigieg
The mayor of South Bend, Ind. is getting buzz as a potential compromise candidate for the Ellison and Perez factions.
The youngest candidate in the race at 35-years-old, Buttigieg is a red-state mayor, former Rhodes scholar and Naval veteran who has earned buzz as a rising star within the party.
He’s won support from a handful of former DNC chairs, including Howard Dean, who see him as a way to mollify both competing factions within the party. But he doesn’t have the national or state party experience of some of his competitors.
Jehmu Greene
The former Fox News analyst is known for her spirited defense of the party on the conservative network, but she’s also a product of the DNC.
Greene worked for the party in various roles earlier on in her career, including as the Southern political director and plays up her grassroots organizing experience.
But most Democrats don’t see Greene as a top contender. She hasn’t released any endorsements from DNC members, while The Hill’s survey uncovered no first-choice votes and only one second-choice vote for her.
Sam Ronan and Peter Peckarsky
The final two candidates on the ballot, Ronan and Peckarsky aren’t expected to win any votes at Saturday’s elections. Ronan is an Air Force veteran who has blasted the party’s handling of the 2016 primary, while Peckarsky is a Wisconsin lawyer focused on protecting voting rights.
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