Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez on
Saturday was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee
(DNC), narrowly defeating Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison.
DNC interim chair Donna Brazile
announced the results during the DNC winter meeting in Atlanta.
Perez received 234 votes, only 16 votes more than needed to clinch the
post.
“Someday, they're going to study this
era in American history and they're going to study it alongside the
know-nothing movement, and they're going to ask the question of all
of us: Where were you in 2017 when we had the worst president in the
history of the United States?”
In conceding the election, Ellison, who
was voted deputy chair, called on Democrats to put the election
behind them and unite.
“You love this country? You love all
the people in it? You care about each and every one of them –
urban, rural, suburban, all colors, all cultures, all faiths,
everybody – and they are in need of your [efforts], and if we
wasted even a moment going at it over who supported who, we are not
going to be standing up for those people,” he said.
Trump called the election fixed, saying
that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had demanded that
Perez lead the party.
“The race for DNC Chairman was, of
course, totally 'rigged,'” he tweeted. “[Sen. Bernie Sanders']
guy, like Bernie himself, never had a chance. Clinton demanded
Perez!”
Two openly gay candidates, Ray Buckley,
chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, and South Bend Mayor
Pete Buttigieg, dropped out the race – Buckley earlier this month,
Buttigieg prior to the vote on Saturday.