Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, installed Wednesday as the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), vowed to continue aggressive campaign efforts for Democrats in all 50 states, while vowing to use a less ideological approach to the party.
“The 50-state strategy is now and forever what Democrats do,” Kaine told Democrats, who were assembled for their winter meeting. The 50-state strategy was a political gameplan developed by Kaine’s successor Howard Dean that sought to expand the electoral map by pursuing campaigns in each state.
“The results speak for themselves. I’ll oversimplify: everybody matters. Every state, every region, every community matters,” Kaine said, before cautioning: “We’ll do some new things, because we can never rest on what worked yesterday.”
Kaine set expectations in the speech by repeatedly referencing the electoral successes enjoyed by the DNC under Dean, though he promised to continue the efforts credited with helping Democrats reclaim the presidency and both houses of Congress. Kaine said following Dean made him “nervous.”
Kaine said that a less ideological approach would help the DNC continue its win streak.
“Our elections in 2008 proved that Americans want leaders that our about solutions, not ideology,” he asserted. “We’re the problem solvers, not the ideologues…In Virginia, our political success has been directly related to the success we’ve made in governance.”
Kaine also sought to reach out to Hispanic voters in particular. He said, speaking in Spanish, that he learned important lessons while working as a young missionary in Hondouras, and that the DNC would work to build strong relationships with the Hispanic community under his tenure.