A few weeks before the vote, Faiz Shakir, a seasoned Democratic political strategist who oversaw Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, is entering the race to become the DNC head.
Shakir stated in an interview with NBC News that the Democratic Party leadership should shift their attention from the specifics of how the DNC would be conducted to more general concerns facing the party.
Shakir explained why he is entering the race: “We are discussing how clean to keep the kitchen while the Titanic is sinking.” The problem is the Democratic brand, and we’re wasting time worrying about things like the consultant contract and whether or not this state party has enough money.
On February 1, DNC members will cast their votes for a new chair as the party begins to recover from its 2024 presidential defeat. Following Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to President-elect Donald Trump, current DNC head Jaime Harrison declared he will not run for reelection.
A few candidates have since gotten in, led by two chairs of Midwestern state parties, Ben Wikler of Wisconsin and Ken Martin of Minnesota. There are a few other contenders in the race, including former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, but Martin and Wikler have garnered the most interest thus far.
However, Shakir acknowledged to NBC News that he has entered the tournament with 17 days remaining.Shakir’s admission into the race was initially reported by the New York Times.
While social media sharing and high-level forums among Democratic leadership have their place, Shakir advised the party should prioritize face-to-face communication.
“Can we be one of those organizations that fills in the gaps to become a place of gathering in person, to build community with one another, to make us human again?” he said, referring to the current society in which individuals feel more and more alone and isolated, frequently on digital media.
Shakir proposed that in order to win people over to the Democratic Party, those olive branches could include throwing a beer-fueled Super Bowl viewing party and delivering pizza to striking union workers.
They will notice when you put your head out there and say, “Hey, I’m going to do something that you didn’t expect me to do,” he added. All you have to do is question how you might typically think about what the DNC does.
Shakir decided to run for DNC chair after dismissing the idea in November when he spoke on The Chuck ToddCast with Chuck Todd of NBC News.
Shakir stated at the time, “I do not think I could actually wage a campaign and win,” “I don t think anybody wants me to be the DNC chair.”
Speaking to NBC News on Wednesday, Shakir took back previous remarks.
According to Shakir, I had certain preconceived notions about those who would run but ultimately chose not to.
Over the course of decades, Shakir has served in a variety of capacities within the Democratic Party. He has led the nonprofit organization More Perfect Union, which bills itself as an advocacy media platform, since overseeing Sanders’ second presidential campaign. Shakir formerly worked as the ACLU’s political director and as an advisor to former House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.