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Tom Perez

The Democratic National Committee elected Tom Perez as its new chairman Saturday, voting for the former labor secretary over Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison in a 235-200 vote.

Perez, who drew support from backers of Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, argued that the party needs to focus on voting access and down-ballot battles.

Ellison's allies, who were aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders' progressive wing, pitched him as the only candidate who could bridge the party's divisions.

Perez's victory came after the other candidates dropped out of the race. They include South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Idaho Democratic Party Executive Director Sally Boynton Brown, television analyst Jehmu Greene, Air Force veteran Sam Ronan and attorney Peter Peckarsky. Ref. CNN

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Perez Tom

They picked the centrist, at least the most centrist of the two leading candidates. He's correct about down ballot needing help. The Democrats lost heavily down ballot under a President Obama and are very weak in many states. This could hurt them badly if they still look this way during redistricting in 2020.