Benjamin Jealous, the former head of the NAACP who became a leading surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign last year, endorsed Rep. Keith Ellison on Monday to lead the Democratic National Committee.
The endorsement came just days after 10 candidates to lead the national Democratic Party held a forum in Baltimore to debate the future of the Democratic party under President Donald Trump.
"In this moment, the Democratic Party needs a leader who has the wherewithal to unite and lead the opposition," said Jealous, a Baltimore native and Maryland resident.
"With a young, progressive leader who rose from the grassroots, Keith’s election will energize the Democratic base and ensure that state, county and local Democratic organizations are provided with the tools and financial resources necessary to build the party from the bottom up," he said.
The support is likely to reinforce the idea that Ellison speaks to the more liberal, outsider wing of the party. Former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez of Maryland, also considered a frontrunner in the race, has been viewed by some as more of an insider -- in part because of his work in the Obama Justice and Labor departments.
House Democrats opened their annual issues retreat in Baltimore on Wednesday by vowing to aggressively fight President Donald Trump, slamming his first weeks in the White House and suggesting there would be little room for compromise.
In a barrage of criticism, Democratic leaders meeting at an ...
House Democrats opened their annual issues retreat in Baltimore on Wednesday by vowing to aggressively fight President Donald Trump, slamming his first weeks in the White House and suggesting there would be little room for compromise.
In a barrage of criticism, Democratic leaders meeting at an ...
Sanders had already backed Ellison. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Southern Maryland recently backed Perez.
The candidates to chair the DNC appeared at the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday to lay out their visions for a party reeling from an election that cost them the White House and exposed deep divisions over its direction.
Democratic insiders will choose new leaders this month who will be charged with crafting a national economic message and, perhaps more importantly, rewiring how the party organizes for elections.
Trump has framed his executive actions within a terrorism context, but they are part of an isolationist worldview America hasn’t seen since before World War II.
Trump has framed his executive actions within a terrorism context, but they are part of an isolationist worldview America hasn’t seen since before World War II.
Declaring that a "a new era of justice begins," President Donald Trump signed three executive orders on Thursday that he said were intended to reduce crime.
Declaring that a "a new era of justice begins," President Donald Trump signed three executive orders on Thursday that he said were intended to reduce crime.
"Ben is an organizer in his home state of Maryland and across this country. He understands the importance of engaging voters 365 days a year," Ellison said.
"I look forward to working hand in hand with civil rights activists like Ben if I am elected chair of the party to fight every day for the issues that matter to everyday Americans and working families,” he said.
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