Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, brushed off calls for his resignation following a debacle at the Iowa caucuses that left no clear winner in the state for three days.
“Look at the last three years,” Perez said Sunday on CNN, adding that he will “absolutely not” resign amid calls for him to step down. “My job, when I came in, was to rebuild our infrastructure, to win elections … We have been winning.”
Hours passed Monday night with Iowa Democrats providing no results following what they called “inconsistencies” in reporting from local precincts across the state. Issues with a new smartphone app used to report results to the state Democratic Party led to flooded phone lines, which left some precinct managers on hold for hours.
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was eventually declared the winner. He narrowly defeated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who came in second place.
Democrats and some media members complained that Perez did not do enough to ensure a smooth process in Iowa and have worried similar snafus could happen in other states this year.
Democracy dies in the darkness! #IACaucus
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 4, 2020
This is a total mess. I respect the people of Iowa, they’ve been great—but it’s become very clear that our democracy has been misserved by a broken system. #IACaucus
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) February 4, 2020
“I think it’s really important for people to take a broader step back right now,” Perez said. “This is the most unsettling phase of the cycle … And the angst is elevated because we have the most dangerous president in American history.”
