Iowa Democratic Party Congratulates New DNC Chair Tom Perez and Deputy Chair Keith Ellison

IDP DNC Delegation Congratulates New DNC Chair Tom Perez and Deputy Chair Keith Ellison

DES MOINES- IDP Chair Derek Eadon issued the following statement on today’s DNC elections in Atlanta:

“We would like to congratulate former Secretary of Labor, Tom Perez, on his victory today. Tom Perez is a fighter and he is prepared to fight for the Democratic Party against President Donald Trump and every Republican lawmaker who runs roughshod over the will of the American people. Tom Perez has the skills, experience and qualifications to lead Democrats to victory in the 2017 and 2018 elections. Throughout his career, Perez has been a strong advocate for collective bargaining, fighting for worker’s rights and job creation. As the son of immigrants, Perez understands that everyone deserves a fair shot to achieve the American dream.

"We would also like to congratulate Keith Ellison on being named Deputy Chair. Iowa Democrats hold a great deal of respect for Rep. Keith Ellison from our neighbor to the north. It was a very difficult choice between the two candidates. We admire Rep. Ellison’s commitment to working families and his devotion to progressive policies. Our delegation was pleased with Perez’s motion to suspend the rules and move to name Rep. Ellison as Deputy Chair. We are very excited about this afternoon’s election results, and we look forward to working united with both Chair Tom Perez and Deputy Chair Keith Ellison in the future.”

Background: Yesterday, the IDP delegation at the Democratic National Winter Meeting announced its endorsement of Former United States Labor Secretary, Tom Perez, for the next Chair of the Democratic National Committee. The Iowa Democratic Party delegation consists of five members including Chair Derek Eadon and Vice Chair Andrea Phillips. DNC members Scott Brennan and Sandy Opstvedt were elected at the 2016 IDP State Convention last June. The other voting DNC member is Jan Bauer, chosen at-large and Chair of the Story County Democrats.