Outgoing DNC chair Jaime Harrison pushes back against critics of ‘identity politics’
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Jaime Harrison on Thursday staunchly defended his party’s commitment to racial equality, using his own identity as a Black man to forcefully push back against critics who say Democrats should abandon “identity politics.”
People of color need to see Democrats fighting for them, and that “cannot be an excuse for why we win or lose.” Harrison said in an impassioned speech to a gathering of Democratic state leaders in Arizona.
“When I wake up in the morning, when I look in the mirror, when I step out the door, I can’t brush this off,” he said, waving his hand in front of his face. “This is who I am. This is how the world perceives me.”
“That’s my identity,” he continued. “And it’s not politics. It’s my life. And the people I need in the party, who need to stand up for me, need to recognize that. You can’t run away from that.”
Harrisons four-year term of office will end early next year. He twice suggested he had further grievances he was eager to put aside, saying “the muzzle will come off” the day after his replacement is chosen on February 1. He has no plans to approve a replacement.
“That’s it for all of you,” Harrison said later as he concluded his speech. ‘Because I’m saving the rest for my book. And I mention names.”
Democrats are waging a fierce debate over why Vice President Kamala Harris lost decisively to President-elect Donald Trump and the path forward for a party that will be locked out of the White House and congressional majorities. Some have argued that the party has become too politically correct and too focused on appealing to voters based on their identity.
Harris would have been the first woman, the first black woman and the first person of Southeast Asian descent to be elected president of the US. But she didn’t emphasize her race or gender in her presidential campaign.
Trump, however spoken extensively about Harris’ race, even as many of his allies begged him not to stoke racial animosity.