Rep. Keith Ellison had been laying the groundwork to run for DNC chairman even before the deep losses Democrats suffered on Election Day. | Getty Rep. Ellison formally announces run for DNC chair

Rep. Keith Ellison on Monday formally announced his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.

“I am proud to announce my candidacy for Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and if given the opportunity to serve, I will work tirelessly to make the Democratic Party an organization that brings us together and advances an agenda that improves people’s lives,” Ellison said in a statement.


The Minnesota congressman had been laying the groundwork to run for the post even before the deep losses that Democrats suffered on Election Day. In recent days, his efforts began to come into public view.

Ellison, who backed the presidential primary bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders, has already been endorsed for chairman by Sanders and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid, as well as Rep. Raúl Grijalva, co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Ellison would make a “terrific” chairman.

In his announcement Monday, Ellison rolled out additional endorsements from prominent Democrats including Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Chris Murphy of Connecticut — both supporters of Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid — Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Tim Vandeveer, former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin.

Rybak had often been mentioned as a possible candidate for DNC chairman himself.

“Having worked on elections and social movements with Keith Ellison for more than two decades, I can say I have never seen him campaign only for himself,” Rybak said in a statement. “More a community organization than a politician, Keith has used every campaign to protect every voter’s rights, expand our party’s base, include those left behind and elevate new leaders. That is exactly what the Democratic Party needs right now.”

Ellison’s support from Klobuchar and Murphy was viewed as a sign that the Minnesota congressman might be able to attract support from beyond the Sanders wing of the party — his base of support. Many Democratic leaders in Washington and the states fear the chairmanship race could devolve into a repeat of the acrimonious Clinton-Sanders primary.

“I think there is a great deal to be said for putting an active Sanders supporter in there. I want to go into 2020 without these kinds of suspicions and paranoia,” former Rep. Barney Frank, who backed Clinton, said Monday.

Going into the weekend, Ellison was still reaching out to Democrats around the country to gauge support for his prospective candidacy. Virginia Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Swecker was among those who received a call from Ellison. Swecker said Ellison called and, while he didn’t say that he was running, the timing seemed to indicate that.

“We had a nice conversation; I expect to hear from some others,” Swecker said Monday of her call with Ellison, who didn’t explicitly say that he was running. Swecker said she hasn’t decided who she’ll support in the race.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has already announced that he’s running for DNC chairman, and the field of candidates is likely to expand. Among others who have expressed interest: former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, New Hampshire Chairman Ray Buckley and South Carolina Chairman Jaime Harrison, who has been talking with fellow DNC committee members about a possible bid. Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s name has also been floating among Democrats.

Shortly after Ellison’s announcement, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee endorsed him. The PCCC, a liberal outside group, aligns itself closely with Warren.

Last week, Dean argued that Ellison couldn’t adequately serve as both DNC chairman and as a member of Congress.

“You cannot do this job and sit in a political office at the same time. It’s not possible,” Dean said in an interview on MSNBC. That view is shared by critics of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s tenure as DNC chairwoman.

But Ellison’s supporters insist that the Minnesota congressman can juggle both jobs.

“I think he’s completely equipped to hold both jobs,” said former Nevada Democratic National Committeewoman Erin Bilbray, a former backer of Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Asked about Dean’s bid, Bilbray said she didn’t have anything against the former DNC chairman but that there needs to be “fresh leadership with new ideas.”

“I believe very strongly that the Sanders base is the future of our Democratic Party; that is where the party’s going between the millennials and Gen-Xers,” Bilbray said. “They want new ideas, and I think Ellison represents that. Dean is a good man, but he comes from a different era.”

The DNC member vote for the next chair isn’t expected to take place until the first quarter of next year, perhaps in February or March, according to Democrats involved in the process.

