Labor Secretary Tom Perez interested in Democratic Party chairmanship
Hunter Walker
·White House Correspondent
U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
A battle is brewing over who will lead the Democratic National Committee following Donald Trump's stunning upset victory in Tuesday's presidential election. Several prospective contenders are eyeing the job, and Yahoo News has learned that another, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, is interested in the Democratic Party's top post.
On Friday afternoon, a source familiar with Perez's thinking said he is eager to take on Trump and interested in the impact he could have as DNC chair.
"Anyone who knows Tom knows he will not be able to sit on the sidelines. He has fought on behalf of working people, Democrats and progressive values his whole life," the source said. "Like all Democrats, he's trying to make sense of how best to continue that work, and DNC chair would be one of several fantastic platforms."
Another Democratic source told Yahoo News that "a number of Democrats are floating" Perez's name.
"They want someone who can rally the party and progressives," the source said of Democrats pushing for Perez. "He's wrapping up stuff at the Labor Department as we speak and trying to figure out how to make the most impact."
Perez was previously considered as a potential vice presidential pick for Democrat Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Trump. Clinton ultimately chose Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., but Perez consistently stumped for her on the campaign trail before and after the Kaine announcement.
The DNC chair plays a key role in strategy and fundraising for the party. The current selection process is shaping up to be a fight between the party's left flank and more centrist elements.
There may be a crowded field to replace outgoing Chairwoman Donna Brazile.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who emerged as a leader of the party's progressive wing during his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, has come out in support of Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., for the job. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., set to be the ranking Senate Democrat next year, has also reportedly thrown his support to Ellison, who has not yet confirmed that he's running for the DNC post.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., speak at a news conference on Sept. 17. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
On Friday morning, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who also ran for president this year, issued a statement saying he's "taking a hard look" at the chairmanship after being "approached by many Democrats."
And Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate, tweeted Thursday that he is "in for chairman again." Dean was also DNC chair from 2005 until 2009.
Other names reportedly in the mix include House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, retiring Rep. Steve Israel of New York, South Carolina Chairman Jaime Harrison, and DNC Vice Chairmen R.T. Rybak and Raymond Buckley.
Perez's parents came to the United States from the Dominican Republic, and his father passed away when he was 12 years old. He went to Brown University and financed his studies by working in the school's dining hall, at a warehouse and as a garbage collector. From there he went on to Harvard University, where he obtained graduate degrees in law and public policy.
Obama nominated Perez to become labor secretary in 2013. Perez began his career as a prosecutor in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. During the 1990s, Perez served as the principal adviser to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy on civil rights issues. He also spent time in the Bill Clinton administration as director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services. While George W. Bush was in office, Perez became involved in Maryland politics and state government. He returned to the Justice Department in 2009, when he became an assistant attorney general heading up the Civil Rights Division.
During his time at the DOJ, Perez increased its focus on prosecuting hate crimes, investigating police misconduct and voting rights issues. At the Department of Labor, he has pushed for minimum wage increases, union organization and financial industry regulations.
Perez's résumé could be appealing to the Democratic Party's liberal flank. As Perez was being considered as Clinton's running mate, one former adviser to President Obama told Yahoo News the labor secretary was a "true progressive" with a "great personal story" who was part of a "new generation of rising Democratic stars."
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Chilly pattern with spotty snow may be harbinger of bigger storm to come
It's the middle of January, and true Arctic air hasn't been felt across much of the Midwest and Northeast yet this month. However, AccuWeather forecasters say that's about to change. The weather pattern will usher in rounds of chilly air typical for late January, and it could trigger lake-effect snow and snow showers into the weekend. The cold air could set the stage for a more extensive snow and ice storm across the Midwest and Northeast by early next week -- and the potential for serious cold after it's over. It will be colder than it has been in recent weeks, and temperatures can even dip below average on occasion into this weekend. "Prior to Friday, fresh snow cover on the ground will allow temperatures to drop into the single digits and teens across the interior Northeast," AccuWeather's Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. Intertwined in the colder weather pattern will be weak and fast-moving storms that will swing from the northern Plains of the United States and southern Canada Prairies to southeastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. in the coming days. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Each of these Alberta clipper-style storms, which are weak and quick-moving storm systems, will not have a chance to tap into Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean moisture, but they can grab a small amount of moisture from the open waters of the Great Lakes. The effect could be for local enhancement of precipitation. Usually, at this point of the winter, there is a significant amount of ice on the lakes, but so far this winter, these waterways are mainly free of ice. As of Jan. 18, the ice cover is less than 2% but gaining, according to the National Weather Service. Ice cover typically reaches its maximum in February. As the clipper storms swing through the region, brief bursts of snow, flurries, and snow squalls will roll through parts of the Midwest and interior Northeast. On a couple of occasions, a bit of snow can extend all the way to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. One such clipper storm was progressing across the central Appalachians and Great Lakes region on Tuesday. Some flurries or spotty light snow from the system can extend to the Interstate 95 corridor and even some East Coast beaches Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Snow flurries in the nation's capital can't be ruled out Wednesday morning, according to forecasters. If snowflakes fly during inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden, it would be the first time in 109 years. But accumulations are likely to remain confined to higher elevation areas farther to the west of D.C. into Tuesday night. And farther to the north and west still, there will be some enhancement of the precipitation around the Great Lakes with bands of lake-effect snowfall set to follow the system late Tuesday into early Wednesday. And the nuisance hits from winter weather won't stop coming after that. Another clipper storm is forecast to travel eastward late this week and into the first part of the weekend. This clipper is expected to be a bit stronger than the first, but it will also track farther to the north. This setup should keep steady snow associated with it near the U.S./Canada border. A heavier round of lake-effect snow is predicted to follow into the weekend, and it will be somewhat more intense than during the first part of this week. The rounds of lake-effect alone into Friday night can unleash up to a couple of feet of snow in some areas downwind of the Great Lakes. Only the shifting nature of the lake-effect snow bands may prevent amounts from doubling. The pattern will bring periodic flurries, snow showers and heavier snow squalls that can migrate well away from the Great Lakes and cause trouble on highways in parts of the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians to interior New England. A quick coating of snow and the sudden change in visibility and road condition can be very dangerous for motorists traveling at highway speeds. "Temperature departures will average 6-12 degrees Fahrenheit below normal from the Upper Midwest to the northern tier of the Northeast this weekend, in the wake of that stronger clipper storm," Pastelok said. This weekend, normal low temperatures will range from 7 below zero in International Falls, Minnesota, and zero in Caribou, Maine, to 16 in Chicago and 27 in New York City. Temperature departures will diminish around the Ohio Valley and coastal mid-Atlantic regions, but it will still feel colder, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Adding to the overall colder weather pattern, breezy to windy conditions will develop at times, which will result in AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures that could drop 10-20 degrees lower than the actual temperature. The push of colder air in the wake of the stronger clipper storm this weekend will help set the stage for trouble with wintry precipitation in a large area of the Midwest and Northeast as a bigger storm is expected to approach late in the week and early next week. "The way the atmosphere seems to be stacking up in terms of temperatures at different layers would suggest that sleet and freezing rain will be involved with this storm as well as snow from parts of the central Plains to the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker. Precipitation with this storm has the potential to affect NFL conference championship games in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday. Snow is favored to be nearby in Green Bay during Sunday afternoon, while it could be a close call between rain and a wintry mix around Kansas City on Sunday evening. The exact timing and precipitation amounts from the storm, which is still several days away, are still coming into focus. There is some question as to how far north the storm will travel before it will be pushed eastward. "The jet stream setup shaping up for this weekend to early next week suggests an atmospheric road block may prevent the storm and its snow and ice from advancing too far to the north in the Midwest and the Northeast," AccuWeather Forecasting Manager Dan DePodwin said. However, Arctic cold, which has been largely absent from the picture thus far this winter, may hold its ground and bring a substantial amount of wintry mix to the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region. The same setup could limit or prevent snow from reaching much of the U.S./Canada border area due drier air to the north. "Severe weather has also been somewhat lacking with most storms this winter, but there is a chance this storm may be potent enough to trigger a round of severe weather across the South Central and Southeast states as it moves along," DePodwin said. Chillier-than-average Gulf of Mexico waters have likely been playing a role in limiting severe weather in the Deep South thus far. Within a few days after the departure of the large storm next week, there is the potential for some of the coldest air of the season so far to empty southward from Canada and into part of the Midwest and Northeast prior to the end of January. The late-month pattern may feature below-zero temperatures in part of the interior Northeast in places where very cold air has been absent. For example, Burlington, Vermont, has not dipped below zero yet this winter and could be one location where the temperature does so during the last few days of the month. AccuWeather will continue to provide updates on lake-effect snow showers and the potential for a major storm with snow and ice from later this weekend to early next week. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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