Brazile announced that she would not run for a full term.[5] With no president to select a chair, this became the first contested DNC chair election since 1985.[6] A DNC executive committee meeting took place in December to provide further procedural clarity into the race, though the election itself was to be held at the DNC's Winter Meeting in late February 2017.[1] The 448 DNC members were the sole voting members. A quarter of the members were state level chairs and vice chairs; the remainder had been elected at the state level. To be elected as chair, a simple majority of votes was required.[7]
Mid–December – Meeting of the executive board of the Democratic National Committee.
February 23–26, 2017 – Election to be held by party voting members at the DNC's Winter Meeting[1] (election must be held on or before March 31, 2017)
2:28 p.m. ET, February 25, 2017 – First round of voting is concluded:
Tom Perez received 213.5 votes,
Keith Ellison got 200. (214.5 votes required to win the first round.)[8]
3:20 p.m. ET, February 25, 2017 –
Tom Perez is elected the chair of the
DNC after the second round of voting. Perez motioned for
Keith Ellison to be elected as Deputy Chairman of the DNC, which was approved by unanimous voice vote.
Candidates
Calling for a return to the
fifty-state strategy,
Howard Dean, a former
Governor of Vermont who served as chairman of the DNC from 2005 to 2009, announced his candidacy on November 10.[9] Citing the potential for a divisive race, Dean withdrew himself from consideration on December 2.[10]
After meeting with DNC members, Ellison announced on December 7 that he would resign his seat in the House of Representatives if elected DNC chair, so that he could focus his full attention on the job.[15] One week later,
Labor SecretaryTom Perez announced his candidacy.[16] On February 1, former Vice President
Joe Biden publicly offered his support for Perez.[17]South Bend, Indiana Mayor
Pete Buttigieg announced his candidacy on January 5, 2017.[18]Fox News analyst
Jehmu Greene announced her candidacy on January 12, 2017.[19]
Howard Dean,
Governor of Vermont (1991–2003); chairman of the DNC (2005–2009).[39] Dean withdrew on December 2, 2016, and endorsed Buttigieg on February 22, 2017.[40] After Buttigieg withdrew, Dean endorsed Ellison on February 25, 2017.[41]
The candidates participated in regional forums in
Phoenix, Arizona, on January 13 and 14, in
Houston, Texas, on January 27 and 28, in
Detroit, Michigan, on February 3 and 4, and in
Baltimore, Maryland, on February 10 and 11.[47] They participated in two debates: the first at
George Washington University, hosted by The Huffington Post, on January 18[48] and the second in Atlanta, sponsored and aired nationally by
CNN, on February 22.[49]
53 former U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice officials[136]
Results
With 447 voting members of the DNC, 224 votes were expected to be needed to win the chairmanship.[137] However, only 427 members voted in the first round (Chairperson Donna Brazile and two other members present did not vote, and one abstained), so only 214.5 votes were required to reach the threshold for victory. In the first round, Perez received 213.5 votes, while Ellison received 200, Boynton Brown received 12, Buttigieg received one, and Greene received 0.5.[34][a]
After the first round, Greene dropped out and endorsed Perez, while Peckarsky and Ronan dropped out and endorsed Ellison. Boynton Brown withdrew without endorsing a candidate. In the second round, 435 votes were cast: 235 for Tom Perez and 200 for Keith Ellison.[138] After Perez won, he selected Ellison as deputy chair.[139]
The vote tally was obtained through an email from the DNC.[140]
Brazile announced that she would not run for a full term.[5] With no president to select a chair, this became the first contested DNC chair election since 1985.[6] A DNC executive committee meeting took place in December to provide further procedural clarity into the race, though the election itself was to be held at the DNC's Winter Meeting in late February 2017.[1] The 448 DNC members were the sole voting members. A quarter of the members were state level chairs and vice chairs; the remainder had been elected at the state level. To be elected as chair, a simple majority of votes was required.[7]
Mid–December – Meeting of the executive board of the Democratic National Committee.
February 23–26, 2017 – Election to be held by party voting members at the DNC's Winter Meeting[1] (election must be held on or before March 31, 2017)
2:28 p.m. ET, February 25, 2017 – First round of voting is concluded:
Tom Perez received 213.5 votes,
Keith Ellison got 200. (214.5 votes required to win the first round.)[8]
3:20 p.m. ET, February 25, 2017 –
Tom Perez is elected the chair of the
DNC after the second round of voting. Perez motioned for
Keith Ellison to be elected as Deputy Chairman of the DNC, which was approved by unanimous voice vote.
Candidates
Calling for a return to the
fifty-state strategy,
Howard Dean, a former
Governor of Vermont who served as chairman of the DNC from 2005 to 2009, announced his candidacy on November 10.[9] Citing the potential for a divisive race, Dean withdrew himself from consideration on December 2.[10]
After meeting with DNC members, Ellison announced on December 7 that he would resign his seat in the House of Representatives if elected DNC chair, so that he could focus his full attention on the job.[15] One week later,
Labor SecretaryTom Perez announced his candidacy.[16] On February 1, former Vice President
Joe Biden publicly offered his support for Perez.[17]South Bend, Indiana Mayor
Pete Buttigieg announced his candidacy on January 5, 2017.[18]Fox News analyst
Jehmu Greene announced her candidacy on January 12, 2017.[19]
Howard Dean,
Governor of Vermont (1991–2003); chairman of the DNC (2005–2009).[39] Dean withdrew on December 2, 2016, and endorsed Buttigieg on February 22, 2017.[40] After Buttigieg withdrew, Dean endorsed Ellison on February 25, 2017.[41]
The candidates participated in regional forums in
Phoenix, Arizona, on January 13 and 14, in
Houston, Texas, on January 27 and 28, in
Detroit, Michigan, on February 3 and 4, and in
Baltimore, Maryland, on February 10 and 11.[47] They participated in two debates: the first at
George Washington University, hosted by The Huffington Post, on January 18[48] and the second in Atlanta, sponsored and aired nationally by
CNN, on February 22.[49]
53 former U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice officials[136]
Results
With 447 voting members of the DNC, 224 votes were expected to be needed to win the chairmanship.[137] However, only 427 members voted in the first round (Chairperson Donna Brazile and two other members present did not vote, and one abstained), so only 214.5 votes were required to reach the threshold for victory. In the first round, Perez received 213.5 votes, while Ellison received 200, Boynton Brown received 12, Buttigieg received one, and Greene received 0.5.[34][a]
After the first round, Greene dropped out and endorsed Perez, while Peckarsky and Ronan dropped out and endorsed Ellison. Boynton Brown withdrew without endorsing a candidate. In the second round, 435 votes were cast: 235 for Tom Perez and 200 for Keith Ellison.[138] After Perez won, he selected Ellison as deputy chair.[139]
The vote tally was obtained through an email from the DNC.[140]