Washington (CNN) Keith Ellison -- who Bernie Sanders endorsed for Democratic National Committee chair -- said Wednesday night he'd push the reluctant Sanders to hand his massive list of supporters over to the DNC.

"We're going to call upon everybody to give all the resources they have," the Minnesota congressman said at a Huffington Post forum featuring the seven candidates to chair the Democratic Party.

Ellison said Democrats are "in an emergency" as they face the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency. "Everybody has to give up what they have to maximize turnout and agency and organization," he said.

His comments address a critical question many establishment Democrats have as they select a new DNC chair: By selecting the Sanders-endorsed candidate, can they also secure his young, progressive wing of the party?

The race for DNC chair has largely divided along 2016 Democratic primary lines -- with Sanders supporters backing Ellison and those closely aligned with President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton coalescing around Labor Secretary Tom Perez.

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