Seema Nanda‘s hiring is seen as a step away from more explicitly political executives who‘ve led the party in the past. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images DNC taps former Perez chief of staff for CEO

The Democratic National Committee tapped Seema Nanda to serve as its new CEO and handle day-to-day operations, the committee announced Friday.

As midterm elections continue and the 2020 election draws closer, hiring the management-oriented Nanda is a move away from more explicitly political executives who have led the troubled party in the past.


“I’m beyond excited that Seema is bringing her talent and brilliance to the DNC,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. “She is a seasoned manager who has a proven track record of success.”

Nanda previously worked as Perez’s chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Labor. She replaces interim CEO Mary Beth Cahill, who took the helm of the DNC in February after replacing Jess O’Connell, a seasoned operative who left after less than a year on the job.

“People are hurting all across our country. I believe that Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately-needed right now — solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigor of our ideas, and the decency of our values,” Nanda said in a statement.

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Nanda also worked on the DNC transition team for Perez, which “took a fresh look” at the committee’s operations after the 2016 election, according to a DNC statement. She has a background in labor and employment law, and has worked in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

“As we head toward a crucial election, I’m one hundred percent certain that Seema’s leadership will help the DNC capitalize on the unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm surging throughout the country,” Perez said in a statement.

