I’m with Keith Ellison for DNC Chair
Democrats will gather in Atlanta today to elect the next leader of the Democratic Party. As we recover from a crippling loss of the White House last year and the gradual loss of statewide and local seats across the country over the last decade, it is time for our party to reset — to reaffirm and recommit to our common values and chart a course for an electoral resurgence.
The Democratic Party has to reposition itself as the party of the people; working class citizens too often overlooked by the political elite, disenchanted and disengaged with the political process.
We need action-driven leadership at the grassroots level; Someone committed to prioritizing local action: to register new Democrats, reengage those who are disappointed and disengaged, encourage them to run for office and — more importantly — win.
We need fresh leadership; A fighter who can unite the various bases of the party around our shared values and take the fight to President Trump and his supporters in Congress; Someone with the honesty to articulate where our party is failing and the foresight to craft a vision of where we must go in the future.
We need proven leadership; Someone with the ability to inspire and mobilize Democrats, especially in middle America, where Republicans have taken full advantage of our party’s lack of demonstrable concern or connection to their issues.
We need Congressman Keith Ellison.
Elected the first African American from Minnesota and the first Muslim member of the US Congress in 2007, he is now the co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus and has been a fighter for our values.
Keith has been a consistent champion for our Democratic beliefs and has been unafraid to challenge us where we’ve fallen short.
He is committed to a hyper-local, 50-state strategy that will focus on every community in our country, focused on building partnerships, voter registration, and concrete goals for turnout. Using proven strategies, his congressional district went from having the lowest voter turnout in the nation to having one of the highest turnouts in the nation since he was elected.
Keith is committed to taking the party to the people: moving operations beyond the beltway and making real investments in strengthening local organizations and regional leadership. Keith is walking the walk: Since announcing his candidacy for DNC Chair, he’s been to 32 states and territories to share his message and mobilize Democrats across the country.
Keith is thinking about our party’s future, and he’ll focus on building a bench of Democratic leaders, with a thoughtful plan to engage and mobilize millennials.
It is now “do or die” for the Democratic Party. Our base, our values and all the progress we’ve made is on the line. I believe Keith Ellison is the leader we need — someone who will get in the trenches, unafraid to play defense against right-wing assaults on our values and play offense to take back our country.
I’m with Keith Ellison for DNC Chair and I’m asking my fellow Democrats voting in Atlanta today to be with him too.
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Markus Batchelor is a member of the District of Columbia State Board of Education. He is also former President of DC’s Ward 8 Democrats and former National Committeeman for the DC Young Democrats.
