New York state Sen. James Skoufis (D) launched his bid for Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman on Saturday, seeking to “rebuild” the party after a major election night defeat earlier this month. .
“We're looking for fresh perspectives as we speak to a number of DNC members and the broader Democratic Party,” Skoufis, 37, said in an interview with The Hill. “I think we bring a healthy combination of a proven track record of knowing how to win over the past 12 years and a younger, fresher perspective.”
Mr. Skoufis has been a member of the New York State Senate since 2023. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, he served in the state House of Representatives, where he was elected in 2012. He is the youngest person ever elected to the New York State Senate. 25 years old.
His candidacy for DNC chairman will be Skoufis' first foray into the national political stage.
“Many times in the past, the DNC has been chaired by someone from the D.C. beltway, someone who has been a long-time member of the party, or someone who comes from machine politics,” Skoufis said. “I'm not from that area, but I think that's a good thing.”
The New York congressman joins former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) and Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman and Democratic National Committee Vice Chairman Ken Martin in the race to replace current Chairman Jamie Harrison. are.
A number of names have been mentioned as potential candidates, including U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, and political strategist Chuck Rocha.
Skoufis' candidacy comes after the Democratic Party suffered sweeping defeats in the general election earlier this month. President-elect Trump won all seven battleground states, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since 2004, and also advanced in strong states like New York.
Trump lost the Empire State to Vice President Harris by just over 11 points, but it was a significant improvement from 2020, when he lost the state to President Biden by just over 23 points.
Skoufis won re-election in the 42nd State Senate District, located in the competitive Hudson Valley. He noted that Trump most recently won the district by a 12 percentage point margin.
“If you look at my races this year compared to two years ago, some of my biggest gains were not necessarily the communities where I won outright,” he said. “But this time, instead of losing by 40 points to the red grass in the countryside, we might have lost by just 15 points.”
The state lawmaker said that to get back on track, Democrats need to “meet people where they are” and stop “talking in overly academic language.”
“Some of our candidates run for university president without running for public office,” Skoufis told The Hill.
“If someone believes in strong borders as much as I do, that person should not be labeled a racist by elements of our party. If someone voted for Donald Trump… But we shouldn't condescend and say they voted against their best interests,” he said. “We have to stop saying that when you go to the grocery store and look at the shelves and the economy has been doing well for years, it’s never been that way.”
“It's not rocket science,” Skoufis added in an interview. “It's a normal thing. We're not talking some weird academic terminology. It's about meeting people where they are. 700 messages asking people to donate $5 in tips in the three weeks leading up to the election. I don't even send it.”
Elections for a new party chairman and other leadership positions within the DNC are scheduled to take place during the party's winter meeting on February 1 in National Harbor, Maryland.
In addition, the party plans to hold four forums, both in-person and virtually, for candidates to make their case to sitting committee members. The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee is scheduled to meet on Dec. 12 to develop the process for selecting Democratic officers.
