Former presidential candidate and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean told members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) gathered in Denver on Friday that he is no longer seeking the party chairmanship.
Three additional candidates—Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), New Hampshire chairman Raymond Buckley, and South Carolina chairman Jaime Harrison—gave their pitches to state party leaders Friday afternoon, hoping to lead the Democrats as they undergo a post-election reckoning.
Ahead of the forum, it was reported that Dean would not appear at the “Future of the Party Forum” in person, but would address the crowd by video. “Dean’s absence is striking, as the [Association of State Demcoratic Chairs] helped put him over the top in his 2004 bid for DNC chairman by voting for him in their straw poll,” The Hill noted.
While he did not back any candidate in his brief address, former party chair Dean said: “I know this job better than anyone in this room. It requires 80 hours of work a week and constant travel across the country to fundraise…this is a full-time job.” The Hill wrote that represents “a hurdle to Ellison’s bid.”
Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey
He also said the fight to lead the party should not become a battle between Hillary Clinton supporters and Bernie Sanders backers.
After his announcement, Dean spoke with MSNBC:
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT