DNC race narrows ahead of vote as Harrison bows out, endorses Perez


The race to become the Democratic National Committee chairman narrowed on Thursday when South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jamie Harrison dropped out, endorsing frontrunner Tom Perez in the process. Perez served as labor secretary under former President Barack Obama and holds about 205 of the 447 total DNC member votes. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the party's more progressive wing, trails Perez with around 153 votes.
"With so much at stake, our next chair will lead the fight of a generation," Harrison said in an email to NBC. "I'm standing by Tom Perez's side, and I hope you will join me in doing the same."
If Perez picks up at least 20 of Harrison's 27 votes, he will likely have a majority heading into the first round of voting Saturday. The winner needs only to win a simple majority of 224 votes or more; if no candidate achieves a majority Saturday, DNC members will cast votes in progressive rounds, eliminating the lowest vote-receiving candidates until a candidate emerges with the majority.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Wednesday night, all of the DNC candidates went head-to-head in a CNN debate. You can watch a 90 second recap of what unfolded here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
5 hilariously heavenly editorial cartoons about the newly elected pope
Cartoons Artists take on the angel and the devil, music choices at the Vatican, and more
-
Celebrating 60 years of the Pennine Way
The Week Recommends This beautiful long-distance path immerses walkers in the beautiful British countryside
-
To ban or not to ban AfD? German democracy at a crossroads
Talking Point Germany's domestic intelligence agency has officially designated the country's main opposition party a right-wing extremist group
-
Supreme Court weighs court limits amid birthright ban
speed read President Trump's bid to abolish birthright citizenship has sparked questions among federal judges about blocking administration policies
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin