Ellison is running in a spirited race against more than a half-dozen other candidates for the party post. | AP Photo Quinn backs Ellison in race for DNC chair

Former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn intends to cast her ballot for Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison for Democratic National Committee chairman, an Ellison spokesman told POLITICO New York.

Ellison is racing to secure endorsements and votes ahead of the Feb. 25 election in Atlanta, and has already received support from New York elected officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Crowley, Yvette Clarke, and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.


Quinn, who serves as the New York State Democratic Party vice chair, is a voting member of the DNC.

“Now more than ever, the Democratic Party needs a leader with the vision to level the playing field, broaden our coalition, and mobilize the grassroots," Quinn said in a statement.

Ellison is running in a spirited race against more than a half-dozen other candidates for the party post. Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez announced earlier this week that he had secured 180 of the 224 votes necessary to win the chairmanship, but Ellison's camp called that whip count "unverifiable."

The closeness of the race could amplify the importance of each vote, with the ballot likely to go multiple rounds.

Quinn said the party needs "a progressive who will push a message that focuses on hardworking men and women across the country, championing their cause ahead of the elite and those at the top."

"While we have many strong candidates seeking the position, I can’t think of anyone better to lead the Democratic National Committee at this time than Keith Ellison," she said. "I enthusiastically endorse him for Chairperson and intend to work with him day in and day out to re-energize our party, recapture Congress, and build our farm team from state to state.”