Rep. Keith Ellison: I Will Resign if I Become DNC Chair

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Rep. Keith Ellison has pledged to resign as a member of Congress if he becomes chair of the Democratic National Committee. After receiving numerous endorsements from top Democrats across the country, Ellison officially announced his candidacy for position last month.

"Democrats are ready for a massive come back," Ellison said in a statement Wednesday.

"In order to further their commitment and maximize my effectiveness, I have decided to resign as a member of Congress if I win the election for DNC chair. Whoever wins the DNC chair race faces a lot of work, travel, planning and resource raising. I will be 'all-in' to meet the challenge."

Ellison, whose district includes Minneapolis, was the first Muslim elected to Congress. He was re-elected to his sixth term in November.

Following Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the presidential election, Ellison is being eyeballed as someone who could help the Democratic Party refocus and prioritize the needs of average Americans. Ellison's progressive bona fides include his endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders for president last year and his co-chairmanship of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"The Democratic Party must be the party that delivers for working people," Ellison added Wednesday. "We can do that by meeting folks where they are, looking them in the eye, treating them with respect, and working to solve their problems. For me, that means a chair with only one full time commitment."

Ellison said that until he wins the DNC Chair election, he plans on continuing his work in Congress.

Ellison's bid for the top job at the DNC has been hampered by previous associations with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The Nation of Islam has been identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Ellison has since distanced himself from the group.

The DNC post opened up after Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman, resigned from this summer. The Florida congresswoman's resignation came after a series of emails released by WikiLeaks allegedly showed the DNC was working to undermine the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Sanders. Donna Brazile is the current interim DNC chairwoman, but she has indicated she does not want the job long-term.

Ellison was one of the first Democrats to recognize Trump as having a serious chance at winning the presidency. In his July 2015 appearance on ABC's "This Week," Ellison warned Democrats that they "better be ready for the fact that [Trump] might be leading the Republican ticket."

"I know you don't believe that," responded host George Stephanopoulos, as he and other panelists laughed at the notion.

"You know, George, we had Jesse Ventura in Minnesota win the governorship," Ellison replied. "Nobody thought he was going to win. I'm telling you, stranger things have happened."

Ellison struck a populist tone in the announcement of his candidacy for DNC chair last month, saying in a statement that, "Democrats win when we harness the power of everyday people and fight for the issues they care about. It is not enough for Democrats to ask for voters' support every two years."

“This election cycle, we did not motivate enough people to the ballot box," Ellison added.

"We must champion the challenges of working families and give voters a reason to show up at the polls in 2018 and beyond. We must build a bench not just for federal candidates, but for state and local candidates across the nation."

The next DNC chair will be elected by party officials.

Image via AFGE, Flickr, used under Creative Commons