Jaime Harrison Formally Named Democratic Party Chair

The Democratic National Committee has officially elected Jaime Harrison of South Carolina as chairman.

At a virtual post-inauguration meeting on Thursday (January 21), Harrison was voted in and joined by vice chairs Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr. of Texas.

“We are all a part of a movement that you all started, and we are nowhere near done,” Harrison said on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. He also thanked the party’s outgoing leaders. “I have no intention of letting victory turn into complacency… There is important work ahead of us.”

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Harrison, who launched an election campaign that came closer than many believed to unseat incumbent South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, succeeds Tom Perez as DNC Chair. He was a key liaison with state party leaders with whom Perez endured sometimes rocky relationships.

“I am confident that Jaime will … take us to even higher heights,” Perez said during Thursday’s meeting. 

Harrison received 407 out of 411 possible votes.