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10 Things You Need To Know About Keith Ellison, The Man Bernie Sanders Wants To Head The DNC

Published on: November 13, 2016 at 10:04 PM
By Alicia Bayer

Bernie Sanders has officially backed Keith Ellison as his choice for the new permanent leader of the Democratic National Committee, Politico reports.

Sanders threw his support to Ellison in an email to his supporters just days after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.

“You cannot be a party which on one hand says we’re in favor of working people, we’re in favor of the needs of young people but we don’t quite have the courage to take on Wall Street and the billionaire class,” Sanders proclaimed on Friends of Bernie Sanders as he endorsed Ellison for the new head of the DNC .

“You’ve got to decide which side you’re on. That’s why Bernie Sanders supports Rep. Keith Ellison to be the next Chair of the DNC.”

Many Americans have never heard of Keith Ellison before he was thrust into the spotlight this week. Here are 10 facts about the little-known Minnesota representative.

1. He would be the first Muslim Democratic National Committee chair. Ellison would also be only the third black person to ever hold the position.

2. The 53-year-old Democrat has been in Congress since 2007, representing Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in the Minneapolis area where he is widely supported.

3. He is pro-choice and has been an ardent supporter of LGBTQ rights.

4. MoveOn.org endorses him. On Thursday, Ilya Sheyman, executive director of the progressive organization called for the DNC to “clean house” and said Ellison would make an “excellent” chair, Common Dreams reports.

“The DNC must clean house and the new chair must stand up to all efforts by Trump and Republicans to move their harmful and bigoted agenda, which lost the national popular vote. At the same time, the DNC must connect with the grassroots of the party base that wants the party to reject corporate influence and advance an inclusive, progressive agenda that will energize voters and grow our base in 2017, 2018, and beyond.”

5. Sanders isn’t the only politician to endorse him. Daily Kos reports that Ellison has “serious endorsements” in his bid for DNC chair. Elizabeth Warren called him “terrific” and he now has Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in his corner. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has also publicly backed Ellison, among other prominent Democrats.

6. Howard Dean is running against him. The former Vermont governor, who chaired the committee from 2005 to 2009, announced his candidacy, via Twitter on Thursday.

7. Ellison delivers a strong message of hope. Washington Post reports that Ellison “clung to the upside” even of Donald Trump’s hate-inciting speeches, focusing instead on glimpses of hope.

“I gotta be honest, I don’t really absorb the negativity too much. If you’re too sensitive here, it’s just hard to go on. You know what I mean?”

8. He believes in grass-roots campaigning and representing everyday Americans. In a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week , he spoke out about putting the voters first , Huffington Post reports.

“You’ve got to have a vision to strengthen the grass-roots. Make the voters first, not the donors first. I love the donors and we thank them, but it has to be that the guys in the barbershop, the lady at the diner, the folks who are worried about their plant is going to close ? they’ve got to be our focus.”

9. He minds his mom.

10. Bernie Sanders is asking his supporters to sign a petition asking the DNC to appoint Ellison to head the DNC. Already, more than a quarter of a million people have signed.

Sanders and many other prominent Democrats have said that Ellison is the best man to lead the Democratic party as it moves forward, along with hundreds of thousands of Americans who are calling for change in the DNC leadership.

Whether the party will heed their advice remains to be seen.

[Featured Image by Charlie Neibergall/AP Images]

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