Howard Dean drops out of race for DNC chair

DENVER — Former Democratic National Committee chairman and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean dropped out of contention for the party's chairmanship Friday in a video address to the Association of State Democratic Chairs.

Saying the party needs to avoid a fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters, and that the party needs a full-time chairman, Dean took himself out of the running, leaving the race to Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley and South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison.


Before dropping out, Dean told the crowd that the party needs to put its focus back on the states.

"The real loss is there are now more Republican governors than ever before," he said.