Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Sunday threw his support behind Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.
“My friend Keith Ellison is a terrific leader and a strong progressive who knows how to get things done,” he said in a statement. “Now is the time for new thinking and a fresh start at the DNC. Now is the time for Keith.”
Ellison already had the backing of leaders in the progressive wing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who will likely become the next Senate minority leader, also supports Ellison for chair of the DNC.
Democrats appear to be in search of new blood to lead the party after suffering significant losses in the 2016 election and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-FL) resignation from the role in the wake of leaked emails from DNC staffers suggesting they worked against Sanders in the primary.
Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, will announce whether he will seek the role in a Monday conference call, according to the Washington Post.