Outgoing DNC Chair Vows To Burn Party On The Way Out: ‘I Am Naming Names’
Outgoing Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison is rejecting the notion that the party’s embrace of identity politics played a key role in Vice President Kamala Harris’ electoral defeat, which made her the first Democratic Party presidential candidate to lose the popular vote since 2004.
In a racially-focused speech to state Democratic Party chairs in Arizona, Harrison urged black democrats and other “people of color” to forcefully push back against the notion that the party should redirect focus from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to a report from the Associated Press.
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“When I wake up in the morning, when I look in the mirror, when I step out the door, I can’t rub this off,” he said, drawing attention to his own racial identity. “This is who I am. This is how the world perceives me.”
Harrison continued, “That is my identity, and it is not politics. It is my life. And the people that I need in the party, that I need to stand up for me, have to recognize that. You cannot run away from that.”
Harrison speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
Harrison’s four-year term as DNC chair is set to end in February.
Elsewhere in his speech, Harrison stated that he plans to air several grievances once he leaves his post, stating that “the muzzle comes off” the day after his replacement is elected on February 1. He further stated that he has no plans to endorse a replacement.
“That’s it for you all,” Harrison said towards the conclusion of his speech. “Because I’m saving the rest for my book. And I am naming names.”
The Democratic Party has been gripped by infighting in the weeks following Harris’ decisive electoral defeat to President-elect Donald Trump. A number of Harris staffers — both anonymously and publicly — have criticized the campaign’s wild spending. Despite raising more than $1 billion in campaign donations, the Harris-Walz Campaign ended the 2024 Election cycle with more than $20 million in debt.
In an effort to pay off the debt, the DNC has launched a GoFundMe campaign that asks donors to contribute once more.
Some in the party have blamed the loss on the embrace of identity politics and DEI initiatives. Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), credited her narrow win to focusing on “kitchen table issues,” adding that identity politics is not a winning strategy in Michigan. Slotkin added that the strategy should be rejected entirely and needs to “go the way of the Dodo.”
Several Demcocrats have already jumped in the race to replace Harrison early next year. Candidates include former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, state party chairs Ken Martin of Minnesota and Ben Wikler of Wisconsin, New York State Senator James Skoufis and former Maryland U.S. Senate candidate Robert Houton have all announced bids for DNC chair.
Gun control activist David Hogg has also stated that he is considering a big.
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