Labor Secretary Tom Perez to join DNC race

Labor Secretary Tom Perez will launch his campaign to become Democratic National Committee chairman on Thursday, people with knowledge of his plan told The Washington Post Tuesday.

Perez will join Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.); Jaime Harrison, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party; and Ray Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, in the race. Ellison is holding a rally Wednesday with the American Federation of Teachers and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and won't comment on Perez until he's officially in the running. Harrison called Perez a "good friend" and a "great Democrat," and Buckley said he's "confident by the time the DNC meets in 10 weeks, the party will have had ample opportunity to hear our plans and participate in an open and vibrant process."

It's also being reported that Pete Buttgieg, 34, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is considering a run. Although Democrats have wanted him to run for a higher office in his state, people who have spoken with him told the Post he thinks DNC chair would be a better fit.

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