The race for Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair is shaping up to be a field of largely white men — a notable development for a party that has long touted diversity within its ranks.
Roughly half a dozen candidates are running to helm the Democratic Party, almost all of them men. Nate Snyder, a former Department of Homeland Security official who is both Latino and Jewish, is the only candidate of color in the race, while former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson is the only woman running.
While members of the party laud the candidates running and their track records, some Democrats say they are struck by the lack of gender and racial diversity in the field following Vice President Harris’s historic run last month.
“It is a bit jarring too, to where the gender diversity is in this race and the conversation, it’s also way off,” Snyder said in an interview with The Hill.
State party Chairs Ken Martin of Minnesota and Ben Wikler of Wisconsin; former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley; New York state Sen. James Skoufis; and Snyder are all running for DNC chair. Robert Houton, a former Maryland Senate candidate, is also running, but his candidacy is considered a long shot.
Williamson made a late entry into the DNC the day after Christmas, writing in a letter to members of the party “it’s important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trump’s appeal.”