DNC chairman aims for diversity with delegate nominations
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez has nominated 75 people to become new at-large DNC members, including a transgender woman and a woman protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, according to a list obtained by The Hill.
In an email sent to DNC members on Tuesday ahead of this week’s DNC gathering in Las Vegas, Perez unveiled his slate of new nominees with the aim of building a party that the new chairman hopes will draw a distinction between his priorities and those of President Trump.
{mosads}
A Democratic source told The Hill that Perez’s nominees would double the number of millennials and Native Americans currently represented at the DNC. It will also increase the DNC’s LGBT presence and representation from Puerto Ricans, at a time when Trump has been criticized for his response to the hurricane that has devastated the island territory.
Perez’s delegate slate also includes Ellie Perez, a so-called Dreamer — an immigrant brought to the U.S. without legal permission as a child — from Arizona, and Marisa Richmond, a transgender African-American woman. If Perez’s slate of delegates is approved, it would bring the total number of unions represented by at-large DNC members to 21, which the source said was the highest mark in years.
“This year’s slate of at-large DNC member nominees reflects the unprecedented diversity of our party’s coalition,” DNC national press secretary Michael Tyler said in a statement to The Hill. “This slate doubles millennial and Native American at-large representation, provides unprecedented representation for our allies in the labor community, and increases the presence of Puerto Rican at-large members at a time when the Trump administration refuses to take responsibility for the millions of Americans who are still suffering through a major humanitarian crisis.”
Perez’s slate of delegates also includes several names that will be familiar in Washington and in Democratic circles, including former interim DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile.
Several supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are also on Perez’s list, including former Sanders spokeswoman Symone Sanders.
Two people who challenged Perez for DNC chair have been nominated — Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and former South Carolina Democratic chairman Jaime Harrison. After a hard-fought and sometimes bitter campaign, Perez tapped Ellison, a Sanders supporter, to be his deputy chairman.
Labor leader Randi Weingarten, who backed Ellison in the DNC chair race over Perez, is also nominated.
Perez’s full slate of nominations is below:
Females
Jan Bauer …………………………………… Iowa
Artie Blanco ……………………………….. Nev.
Donna Brazile……………………………..D.C.
Roxanne Brown …………………………. Md.
Calla Brown ………………………………. Md.
Laphonza Butler ………………………….. Calif.
Maria Cardona …………………………….D.C.
Leah Daughtry ……………………………. N.Y.
Joanne Dowdell …………………………..N.H.
Maria Eschaveste ……………………….. Calif.
Lily Eskeleson Garcia …………………… Utah
Cindy Estrada ……………………………… Mich.
Isabell Framer ……………………………. Ohio
Lorna Johnson ……………………………. Calif.
Paulette Jordan ……………………………. Idaho
Elaine Kamarck ………………………….. Mass.
Claire Lucas ……………………………….. D.C.
Juanita Luiz……………………………….. Wash.
Jen McClellan …………………………….. Va.
Lorraine Miller …………………………….. Texas
Minyon Moore …………………………….. D.C.
Margarita Nolasco ……………………….. Puerto Rico
Carol Pensky …………………………….. Md.
Ellie Perez …………………………………. Ariz.
Ai-Jen Poo …………………………………. N.Y.
Carrie Pugh………………………………… D.C.
Marisa Richmond ………………………… Tenn.
Emmy Ruiz ………………………………… Texas
Symone Sanders ………………………… D.C.
Lottie Shackelford ……………………….. Ariz.
Becky Strezchowski ………………………. Ill.
Jere Talley …………………………………. Texas
Amy Wakeland ……………………………. Calif.
Jeion Ward ………………………………… Va.
Randi Weingarten ……………………….. N.Y.
Alexis Wiley ………………………………… Mich.
Roz Wyman ……………………………….. Calif.
Males
Yohannes Abraham …………………….. Va.
Cristobal Alex ……………………………… Texas
Jeff Berman ……………………………….. D.C.
James Boland …………………………….. D.C.
Tony Coelho ………………………………. Del.
Larry Cohen ……………………………….. D.C.
- David Cox ………………………………. N.C.
Fransico Domenech …………………….. Puerto Rico
Keith Ellison ………………………………. Minn.
Hector Figueroa ………………………….. N.Y.
Don Fowler ………………………………… S.C.
Earl Fowlkes ………………………………. D.C.
Tefere Gebre ……………………………… Calif.
Daniel Halpern ……………………………. Ga.
Keith Harper………………………………..D.C.
Jaime Harrison ……………………………. S.C.
Harold Ickes ……………………………….. D.C.
Jay Jacobs …………………………………. N.Y.
Charlie King ……………………………….. N.Y.
Andres Lopez ……………………………… Puerto Rico
Chris Lowe …………………………………. N.Y.
Chris Lu …………………………………….. Va.
Kerman Maddox………………………….. Calif.
Leopoldo Martinez ………………………. Va.
Robert Martinez …………………………. Md.
Mahlon Mitchell …………………………… Wis.
Michael Nutter …………………………….. Pa.
Manuel Ortiz ………………………………. Puerto Rico
Marc Perrone …………………………….. Md.
Hasmit Popat ……………………………… Texas
Rion Ramirez ……………………………… Calif.
Ken Rigmaiden ………………………….. Md.
James Roosevelt, Jr. …………………… Mass.
Lee Saunders …………………………….. D.C.
Craig Smith ………………………………… Fla.
Rick Wade …………………………………. D.C.
Brian Wahby ……………………………… Mo.
James Zogby ……………………………… D.C.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed..