On Feb. 23, about 400 Democratic Party leaders will meet to elect the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. Their choice is between the usual party insiders and Rep. Keith Ellison, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and a young rising star, endorsed by Bernie Sanders, who can inspire the next generation of Democratic voters.

Who gets chosen will shape the future of the political party and the future of our country. We have one simple piece of advice: listen to the people, not special interests, not party elites, but the people. We know rank-and-file Democrats and independents don't get to vote on who becomes chair of the party, but it's time to think differently.

Since 2008, the Democrats have lost 11 governorships, 13 U.S. Senate seats, 69 House seats, and more than 900 state legislative seats. And in 2016, the Democratic nominee lost to an unlikable and unlikely buffoon.

If the Democratic Party doesn't change its direction, we're likely to end up where we're headed.

Democrats have assumed that demographic shifts in the population are on their side. Millennials, African-Americans and Latinos all favor more inclusive Democratic policies such as affordable health care, strong public education, free college education, equal rights and social security, but the Democratic Party learned the hard way in 2016 that these demographic shifts are not enough to guarantee that people turn out to vote for their candidates. Ellison is the one candidate who has the bona fides to capture the enthusiasm of these potential new Democratic voters.

Ellison is an authentic champion of working families and he's ready to bring that energy and mindset to the Democratic Party.

They are asking for him. Over 650,000 people have already signed a petition endorsing Ellison. No other candidate has that level of popular support.

No candidate for DNC chair better understands voter turnout. According to Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota, "[Ellison's] voter-turnout efforts working with the state party are almost legendary." Clinton won the state by 1.5 points in 2016. Republicans do not hold a single statewide office in Minnesota, and Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Al Franken have praised Ellison for his help in their close races.

That's what the Democratic Party needs.

People are so fed-up, sick-and-tired, mad-as-hell, that they actually elected Donald Trump over the Democratic "establishment" candidate. Think about that: Despite a historically low 45 percent approval rating, Trump was the victor. Despite his vulgarity, untrustworthiness and dangerous policy proposals, he won.

The alarm clock is ringing, and it's time for Democrats to stop hitting the snooze button.

On Jan. 21, the day after Trump's inauguration, millions of people took to the streets across the country in protest of Donald Trump's presidency. We need a political party that can harness that people power and deliver big results in the 2018 mid-term elections. We need a party that focuses on grassroots organizing, not billionaire benefactors. We need a party that champions working families and small business people, not big corporations. We need a political party that empowers local leaders and homegrown heroes, not carpet-baggers who can raise big dollars.

The Democracy Party now faces a critical choice: seek out new, young leadership to electrify the next generation so they can take back the state houses, take back the governor's mansions, take back Congress and take back the White House in order to usher in a new age of good government and social justice.