COLOMBIA – Jaime Harrison will be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee after failing in his campaign against US Senator Lindsey Graham last year, with President-elect Joe Biden choosing him to lead the party.
The long-awaited development could be a boon for South Carolina Democrats, who for years have sought more national attention and resources and will now have one running the party apparatus.
In a statement announcing his choice of Harrison, as well as several other party positions, Biden said they “represent the best of the Democratic Party”.
“We need to elect Democrats across our country and up and down at the polls,” said Biden. “To do this, you will need tireless leadership, committed to strengthening the democratic infrastructure in our states. These leaders have been tested in battle and are ready for this immense task. I know they will do the job.”
In a series of tweets, Harrison said he was “humble and excited” that Biden chose him.
“Together, we will organize everywhere, invest in state parties, expand the map and elect Democrats who will be the champions of this country’s working class,” said Harrison. “
Former President of the Democratic Party of South Carolina, Harrison broke fund-raising records and attracted national attention for his run against Graham, RS.C., although the holder ended up defeated by 10 percentage points.
Harrison was the immediate pioneer for the work of the DNC, aided by his experience as president of a state party, prolific fund-raising ability and close relationship with the majority of the Whip House Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, who has substantial influence with Biden after helping elevate him to a Democratic primary victory last year.
Clyburn praised the team on Thursday.
“I’ve known Jaime Harrison for years – I know his heart, his passion for our party, his unparalleled work ethic – and I commend President-elect Biden for an excellent choice,” said Clyburn.
Graham also saw the choice, saying congratulatory words.
“It is a great honor and I am confident that he will do a good job representing the Democratic cause,” said Graham. “Jaime will be a formidable opponent.”
Graham said he always likes it “when Southern Carolinians are recognized for their talents and accept leadership positions”.
“Good luck,” said Graham to Harrison, “but not very lucky!”
In the months after his failed bid, Harrison launched a new political fund-raising group called “Dirt Road PAC” to support Democratic candidates in other disputes in the south. The group achieved its first success earlier this month with Democratic victories in two US Senate rounds in Georgia, which gave Democrats a majority in the Senate.
He did not hide his interest in the job, pointing to his diversity of experiences in Democratic politics – working for Clyburn on Capitol Hill, leading a state party and running as a candidate across the state – that allowed him to build an expansive network within the party.
SC Democratic Party President Trav Robertson said his predecessor’s accession to the national party would be “exciting for South Carolina.”
“Jaime brings a breath of fresh air because he understands what state parties are going through, especially state parties in a state that may not be as purple or blue as other states, and that’s good news across the country,” he said. Robertson.
Before running for the Senate, Harrison ran for DNC once before, in 2017, but gave up before committee members started voting and endorsed the eventual winner, Tom Perez. He went on to become an associate president of Perez in the past four years.
News of Harrison’s upcoming rise to the presidency of the DNC was first reported on Thursday by the New York Times, and also by the Politico and The Washington Post.
Over nearly two decades of work in South Carolina politics, Harrison has been at the forefront of efforts to expand the political battleground to include more southern states, including his own.
During his campaign for the Senate, Harrison always praised his humble education in Orangeburg. He left poverty there to attend Yale and Georgetown Law School, before working on state and national politics.
Harrison would be the first South Carolina to lead the DNC since the late Don Fowler, another former president of the Democratic Party of SC who took over the national party’s reins for two years in the 1990s during the administration of former President Bill Clinton.
Robertson regretted that Fowler would not be there to see his longtime friend follow in his footsteps.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Robertson. “Your wisdom and advice are something that would have been highly valued.”
Follow Jamie Lovegrove on Twitter @jslovegrove.