Faiz Shakir, who led Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential marketing campaign, is leaping into the race for chair of the Democratic Nationwide Committee — injecting a brand new candidate into the low-key contest.
Shakir confirmed his candidacy in a textual content message to POLITICO. The New York Instances first reported Shakir’s resolution.
Shakir’s late entrance into the race may shake up a contest that has largely centered on get together mechanics fairly than its ideology. In a letter to DNC members, Shakir mentioned he’s turn into “frustrated” by the “lack of vision and conviction for what to do to restore a deeply damaged Democratic brand,” prompting his resolution to hitch the race.
“We all seemingly agree — rhetorically at least — that focusing on winning back America’s diverse working class is of utmost priority,” Shakir wrote in his letter to DNC members. “But as I have listened to our candidates, I sense a constrained, status-quo style of thinking. We cannot expect working class audiences to see us any differently if we are not offering anything new or substantive to attract their support.”
However Shakir begins his bid far behind Wisconsin Democratic Get together Chair Ben Wikler and Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Get together Chair Ken Martin, each of whom have rolled out high-profile endorsements and locked down a number of the DNC’s 448 members, who will vote for his or her get together’s chair on Feb. 1. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has additionally carved out a bloc of assist amongst DNC members.
The DNC chair candidates will take part of their second discussion board on Thursday in Michigan, however Shakir, who entered the race on Wednesday, is not going to be on the stage. There are two extra boards scheduled in January.
In his letter to members, Shakir laid out a few of his platform for his bid, together with a pledge to show the DNC into “an organizing army” with its personal “powerful media outlet” that can launch its personal “compelling original content.”