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For state party officials, many of whom continue to harbor resentment over the dwindling DNC under Barack Obama’s administration, Harrison’s selection came as a relief.
About 70 state party presidents and vice-presidents sent a letter to Biden’s transition team in November which, without naming him, lists a series of qualities that “all match Jaime’s curriculum vitae and experience.” , as one of them put it.
These party leaders see Harrison as one of their own, a former chairman of the state committee who will lead a decentralized DNC and advocate for the investiture of the money into the state-level organization – a gap, they hope, the way the party was run under Obama.
Harrison’s pick was something up front, with DNC members viewing him as the frontrunner for months and no viable challenger emerging.
His rise to the top of the DNC is a sign of the growing influence of the South in the Democratic Party, which is likely to spread further after the elections in Georgia of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, elected to the Senators.
But it is also a sign of the influence exerted by Clyburn, a South Carolina congressman and main ally of Biden who helped revive the president-elect’s 2020 campaign by supporting him ahead of his state’s primaries.
Clyburn lobbied for Harrison both publicly and behind the scenes, including speaking to Biden about the position. Harrison was previously a member of the Clyburn staff.
Biden and his team were extremely close to the DNC during its presidential run, with staff from both operations joining conference calls and their respective leaders frequently coordinating on ground troops and messaging.
“Jaime will ensure that the 57 States Parties and Territories have the funding we need not only to win the elections, but also to build the infrastructure we need to run throughout the year,” said Jane Kleeb, president of the Nebraska Democratic Party. “We cannot afford to be a party that parachutes resources at the last minute.”
Tina Podlodowski, president of the Washington Democratic Party, said that “we are all excited” by Harrison and that as “former president of the state party he obviously understands the issues that we have to deal with.”
DNC members will vote for their chairman and other positions between January 18 and January 21 on an electronic ballot due to concerns about Covid-19. When Democrats win the White House, this vote is usually a formality that confirms the choices of the president-elect.
One of the challenges the party will face in the years to come will be raising funds without President Donald Trump in power to mobilize donors. Harrison, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) last year, has shown a talent for fundraising. During his run for the Senate, he grossed $ 131 million, a record for a chamber candidate.
But some Democrats have questioned whether his ability to raise big money while running against a big left boogeyman would translate into fundraising for the DNC. Democrats will also face an uphill battle in the 2022 election, when the party that controls the White House typically suffers losses.
“Of course we want to help President Biden, but the House, Senate and governors races in 2022 are going to be the main focus of the DNC,” said Carol Fowler, a longtime Democratic official in South Carolina, near of Harrison, recognize the fundraising challenges for the ruling party. “Jamie can do it. He can do it. Those of us who know him know that he will be an exceptional leader and that he will focus on these races.
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