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Updated
Jan. 15, 2021, 7:17 p.m. ET
What Biden’s selection of Jaime Harrison to lead DNC means
Jaime Harrison raised more cash than any other Senate candidate in history when he challenged Senator Lindsey Graham in South Carolina last fall.
Now, having lost this race by more than 10 percentage points, he will be responsible for telling his whole party how to spend their political money.
As my colleague Jonathan Martin and I reported yesterday that Harrison is Joe Biden’s election to chair the Democratic National Committee. When Democrats hold the White House, the committee generally shifts the leadership of the party to the president. Hence, Harrison is unlikely to face any competition for the job. The Biden team also announced a number of high-profile alternates as vice-chairs, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Representative Filemon Vela of Texas, and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta.
Harrison, a former state party chairman, has been supported by dozens of executives within the committee who wish the organization continued to invest in local political infrastructure. After building a national profile during his race, the former Senate candidate comes into action with a built-in base for fundraising and news media attention.
That doesn’t mean it will be easy. Harrison is tasked with helping navigate extremely uncertain political terrain and setting the party’s news ahead of what is likely to be a challenging midterm election. Fighting is already simmering within the party between those who want Biden to convey his message of unifying the country and a more liberal wing that wants the new administration to hold President Trump and his allies accountable for any misdeeds in office.
Also, Harrison will face a simmering battle over the party’s primary nomination plan. Some Democrats want Iowa and New Hampshire – states with predominantly white and senior electoral populations – to lose their lauded status at the start of the main calendar. Others want to eliminate the complicated nomination processes used in Iowa and Nevada.
That fight will likely take place near home for Harrison: his home state – South Carolina – chooses fourth place.
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