Three months ago, Jaime Harrison was putting forth his best effort to become the next Senator out of the state of South Carolina. Ultimately, he fell short in that particular effort, but it may have set him up for the next step in his political career. As many Washington, D.C. insiders expected, President-Elect Joe Biden is expected to name Jaime Harrison as the next chairman of the Democratic National Convention.
During his run for Senate, Harrison worked well with power brokers around the state. While fell roughly 10 percentage points short of his goals, he did break fundraising records by bringing nearly $110 million during his campaign. He also forged strong alliances with the aforementioned Biden and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.
“Jaime’s unique life experiences will serve him well as chair,” Rep. Jim Clyburn said.
“He grew up in rural Orangeburg, South Carolina, and is well prepared educationally and politically to lead the DNC. His experiences as a state Democratic Party chair and associate chair of the DNC and his recent candidacy have provided him with a good understanding of local parties and organizations, and a heavy dose of empathy for candidates and their supporters.”
As Democratic National Committee Chair, Harrison will look to steer the party through turbulent times. While the party gained control of Congress, Democrats lost key seats in the House which led to infighting between junior and senior Congress members. Not to mention, the party must also navigate the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Midterm elections in 2022 also appear to be a challenge in the near future. Despite the obstacles ahead, Harrison appears to be up for the challenge.
“I can’t betray any conversations with Whip, but I know that it’s something that he seems to think that I could do. I’d put it that way,” Harrison said prior to Biden's official announcement.
“If that’s something that they are interested in me doing, I’ll definitely take a good look,”
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