US Muslim lawmaker, Sanders ally vies to lead Democrats

Keith Ellison, a US Muslim lawmaker and a supporter of Bernie Sanders, on Monday formally announced his bid to lead the battered Democratic Party, vowing to take it in a more liberal direction, reports AFP.
“I am proud to announce my candidacy for Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and if given the opportunity to serve, I will work tirelessly to make the Democratic Party an organization that brings us together and advances an agenda that improves people’s lives,” Ellison, 53, said in a statement.Ellison, a member of the House of Representatives who hails from Minnesota, became the first Muslim elected to the US Congress in 2006. He was one of the first supporters of Sanders, in October 2015, in the Vermont senator’s ultimately unsuccessful bid against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries.Clinton’s loss in the November 8 election to Republican tycoon Donald Trump has left the party reeling.
Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was among the first to announce his support for Ellison to lead the DNC.
A number of other party heavyweights also back him, including the next Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York.
“The Democratic Party needs to look itself in the mirror and work tirelessly to become once again the party that working people know will work for their interests,” Sanders wrote in launching a petition drive to support Ellison’s bid last week.
As Democratic President Barack Obama winds up his eight years in office, his party is in crisis.
In addition to losing the White House in last week’s election, the Democrats were unable to retake control of either the Senate or the House from the Republicans and lost a number of state races.
In the battle to rebuild the party of former presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, Ellison said, the focus needs to be populist and anchored at the grassroots level.

 

US Muslim lawmaker, Sanders ally vies to lead Democrats

Keith Ellison, a US Muslim lawmaker and a supporter of Bernie Sanders, on Monday formally announced his bid to lead the battered Democratic Party, vowing to take it in a more liberal direction, reports AFP. I am proud to announce my candidacy for Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and if given the opportunity to serve, I will work tirelessly to make the Democratic Party an organization that brings us together and advances an agenda that improves peoples lives, Ellison, 53, said in a statement.Ellison, a member of the House of Representatives who hails from Minnesota, became the first Muslim elected to the US Congress in 2006. He was one of the first supporters of Sanders, in October 2015, in the Vermont senators ultimately unsuccessful bid against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries.Clintons loss in the November 8 election to Republican tycoon Donald Trump has left the party reeling. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was among the first to announce his support for Ellison to lead the DNC. A number of other party heavyweights also back him, including the next Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York. The Democratic Party needs to look itself in the mirror and work tirelessly to become once again the party that working people know will work for their interests, Sanders wrote in launching a petition drive to support Ellisons bid last week. As Democratic President Barack Obama winds up his eight years in office, his party is in crisis. In addition to losing the White House in last weeks election, the Democrats were unable to retake control of either the Senate or the House from the Republicans and lost a number of state races. In the battle to rebuild the party of former presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, Ellison said, the focus needs to be populist and anchored at the grassroots level.