Among the mud-slinging and attempts at character assassination, the biggest roadblock to Rep. Keith Ellison’s bid for DNC chair is his responsibilities as a congressman.
Having hosted dual-job chairs in the past, DNC leadership told Ellison they felt he could only run the party effectively if he resigned from congress to do so. Running the party, they said, would be a full-time job, though many others in both parties had worn several hats as DNC chair.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday, Ellison agreed to their terms and said that he would resign from his position as a Minnesota congressman if he were made the DNC chair.
Ellison told the Star Tribune that his decision to resign as congressman was a difficult one to arrive at, but after speaking to hundreds of voting DNC members who said they would support him only if he made the DNC chair a full-time job, his decision was made.
The 447 voting members of the DNC will vote on the DNC chair position on Feb. 23 in Atlanta, with a simple majority needed to win. If Ellison wins, he is expected to resign from Congress the following week.
Ellison, who was just re-elected to his congressional seat in November says that until and unless he is made the DNC chair, he will continue to lead his constituents in Minnesota to the best of his ability.
Though taking over as DNC chair may seem like a sore trade for a congressman working his way up, the DNC chair these next four years will play a vital role in publicly opposing the President.
Ellison has shown his ability to properly gauge the threat of Trump while others were still mocking the real-estate mogul. We can only hope that the DNC sees these leadership qualities and puts Ellison at the helm.
