ATLANTA — Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said Friday that Sen. Chuck Schumer’s endorsement in the race to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee amounts to a “kiss of death.”
The comments may not bode well for Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who won the support of Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, early on in the race.
Speaking at a luncheon for Pete Buttigieg, Mr. Dean said that the 35-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, could infuse new energy into the party and bring a new generation of leaders into the Democratic ranks from outside the Washington Beltway.
“I don’t want to say anything bad about any of the other candidates because I like them all, but I think Chuck Schumer’s endorsement is the kiss of death,” Mr. Dean said.
When he served as chairman from 2005 to 2009, Mr. Dean said he was focused on investing in local races, so he rejected Mr. Schumer’s demand that the party to shift more resources into the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Democrats.
“You have to say ’no’ to the Washington establishment in order to do this job properly or it is not going to get done,” Mr. Dean said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.