Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., announced Wednesday that he would resign from his seat in the House of Representatives if he were elected in March to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Ellison said he would leave his House seat in order to “maximize my effectiveness” if elected chairman, and said he would be “all-in” if he takes on the post. He also argued that the Democratic Party is poised for a “massive comeback.”
“In order to further their commitment and maximize my effectiveness, I have decided to resign as a member of Congress if I win the election for DNC chair,” Ellison said. “Whoever wins the DNC chair race faces a lot of work, travel, planning and resource raising. I will be ‘all-in’ to meet the challenge. I want to thank everyone who shared their views on this issue, and I want to thank Democrats everywhere for allowing me to move through my decision-making process.”
“But at this point, the Democratic Party must be the party that delivers for working people. We can do that by meeting folks where they are, looking them in the eye, treating them with respect, and working to solve their problems,” Ellison said. “[F]or me, that means a chair with only one full time commitment.”
At the moment, Ellison is the front-runner for the post, having earned support from Sen. Bernie Sanders and high marks from the likes of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
However, Ellison has run into a road block in recent weeks amid accusations that he espouses anti-Semitism, including from the Anti-Defamation League and Haim Saban, a top donor to Hillary Clinton. Critics have also cited his ties to the Nation of Islam.
The election for the chairmanship is set to be held in March. Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic strategist and party leader, is the interim chair of the party, having taken over for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz after the Democratic National Convention in August.
