CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire Democrat Ray Buckley is pledging to bring “radical reform” to the Democratic National Committee if he succeeds in his bid for the chairmanship.
Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman, jumped in the race Tuesday with an email announcement.
“The DNC will be a team effort unlike what we have seen for many years,” he wrote. “Every voice should be respected, every face reflected in the Democratic Party. The party cannot just be about winning the White House.”
Buckley’s bid comes as the DNC decides how to move forward after major losses in the presidential contest and races nationwide. The party is also dealing with distrust over its perceived favoritism of Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary.
Buckley’s competition includes Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress; former DNC chairman Howard Dean; and South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison. Members of the DNC will gather in late February to choose a new leader.
New Hampshire served as a bright spot for Democrats at the top of the ticket this year, with outgoing Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan winning a U.S. Senate seat and Democrats taking both congressional seats. Those wins weren’t replicated at the State House, where Republicans won the governor’s seat and control of the Statehouse.
During New Hampshire’s presidential primary, Buckley won praise from Sanders supporters for treating the two candidates equally, even though many state party leaders were strongly behind Clinton. He defended Sanders against a challenge to his eligibility to run as a Democrat. Sanders went on to win the state’s primary.
Buckley, 57, was elected state party chair in 2007 after serving as an elected official, running statewide campaigns and serving in a variety of party leadership roles. At the national level, he’s a vice chair of the DNC and president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. He’s been actively involved in gay rights group.
Kathy Sullivan, a Democratic National Committeewoman from New Hampshire, said Buckley has helped grow state parties and build grassroots organizing efforts.
“Raymond has, in the past several years, been a strong voice for the state parties at the Democratic National Committee at a time when there weren’t many voices sticking up for the state parties,” Sullivan said. “I think he goes into this race with a good block of support.”
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