Democratic National Committee Chair Stepping Down

July 25, 2016

After months of controversy about her role in the party’s presidential primaries, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Sunday she will step down as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Wasserman Schultz’s resignation is effective after the Democratic National Convention, which starts Monday in Philadelphia. The announcement came after the disclosure Friday by WikiLeaks of internal party emails that added new fuel to criticism that Wasserman Schultz aided ultimate nominee Hillary Clinton in the presidential primaries against U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

In a statement that splashed Sunday across national and state media websites, Wasserman Schultz said she would open and close the convention and address delegates about “the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans.”

“We have planned a great and unified convention this week and I hope and expect that the DNC team that has worked so hard to get us to this point will have the strong support of all Democrats in making sure this is the best convention we have ever had,” she said in the statement.

Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said on Twitter that party Vice Chairwoman Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic leader and operative, will serve as interim chair through the election.

Sanders, who is scheduled to speak Monday night at the convention, posted a statement on Twitter saying Wasserman Schultz had “made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party” by resigning.

“While she deserves thanks for her years of service, the party now needs new leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people,” Sanders said in the statement. “The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race.”

Clinton also issued a statement saying Wasserman Schultz will serve as “honorary chair of my campaign’s 50-state program to gain ground and elect Democrats in every part of the country and will continue to serve as a surrogate for my campaign nationally, in Florida and in other key states.”

Wasserman Schultz, who is from the Broward County city of Weston, has been a fixture in state Democratic politics for more than two decades and became chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee in 2011.

She faces an Aug. 30 primary-election challenge for her congressional seat from Tim Canova, who has been backed by Sanders. Clinton indicated in her statement that she will try to help Wasserman Schultz fend off the challenge in Congressional District 23.

“I look forward to campaigning with Debbie in Florida and helping her in her re-election bid — because as president, I will need fighters like Debbie in Congress who are ready on day one to get to work for the American people,” Clinton said in the statement.

by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

Comments

10 Responses to “Democratic National Committee Chair Stepping Down”

  1. david lamb on July 29th, 2016 1:28 pm

    First Lady , Senator, Congresswoman, Secretary of State, Bills wife, Presidential Candidate….. The woman deserves no respect from me… She has lied cheated and stolen from us.. She should be in jail!!!!!

  2. No Excuses on July 26th, 2016 3:55 pm

    @Sara,

    Which alternate dimension do you reside in? Ether you are completely unaware of the news, or you don’t care about making such comments praising Hillary Clinton. Watch 13 hours and then tell me she did a good job as Secretary of State!

  3. Sara on July 26th, 2016 12:58 pm

    How can you publish all of these slanderous comments? Hillary Clinton is a former First Lady, Senator & Secretary of State; She deserves the respect of this country, not the viscious lies & attacks that have been unfairly thrown at her. You should be ashamed! But, I know you won’t publish this anyway.

  4. Anne on July 26th, 2016 6:28 am

    Democrat convention last night was a flipping CIRCUS.
    Did me a lot of good to see Payback Time for the simppy, PC whiners.

    When did we become a nation of sheep who are supposed to follow along behind some dang ‘Celebrities’ who are nasty talkers, druggies, and have real messed up lives? What roll models they are — NOT.

    Hillary just is awash in emails that she knows nothing about.
    DUH

  5. Man of God on July 25th, 2016 12:19 pm

    All have sinned, no one perfect. My vote goes to God!

  6. dm on July 25th, 2016 10:31 am

    Here we go again —
    Hillary denies any knowledge of the emails —

    I wonder if an email with her name on it will turn up during the DNC Convention ???

  7. paul on July 25th, 2016 10:29 am

    hillary should dropout.. but her EGO is too big.. she’s the one giving the election to trump.. For some reason she doesn’t understand that her few followers are all she will ever get.. The ones who wouldn’t care if she shot someone in the middle of 5th Ave.. :0

  8. david lamb on July 25th, 2016 10:01 am

    TELL ME LIES, TELL ME LIES, SWEET LITTLE LIES = DNC Convention theme song.

  9. Commonsensethinker on July 25th, 2016 6:31 am

    It will be interesting to see how the die hard Democrats here spin this! The Democrat Party has spent decades demonizing all Republicans as racist. NOW we KNOW that the Democrats are not only racist, but also have no moral code or ethics. The leaked emails PROVE that the Democrat party ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CLAIMING THE REPUBLICANS ARE!! I see no perfect candidate for President in this election. However, I can say this: The Democrat Party and Hillary have PROVEN themselves to be conniving, backstabbing, double-dealing RACISTS!!! No on in their right mind can say that Hillary Clinton is an ethical, truthful, or moral person!!

  10. Sam on July 25th, 2016 6:29 am

    Anything envolving a clinton is corrupt and illegal.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News