Tom Perez, the newly-elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has often used fiery and explicitly religious rhetoric in an effort to help various liberal causes, an aspect of his style that critics say got little attention during his successful campaign to lead the DNC.

“If it’s true that [Minnesota Rep. Keith] Ellison’s controversial religious beliefs helped make Perez the winner in the DNC race, that is quite ironic. Perez himself has a history of, shall we say, eccentric views in politics, religion and the co-mingling thereof that I think would come as a surprise to many people,” said Mark Patterson, executive director of the conservative Center for Worker Freedom.