Biden to pick former South Carolina Democratic Party chair Harrison to head DNC: source

FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison speaks at a watch party during Election Day in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. November 3, 2020. REUTERS/Randall Hill

(Reuters) – President-elect Joe Biden is set to pick former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison to head the Democratic National Committee, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

Harrison was a successful fundraiser as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, amassing a stunning $109 million war chest for his 2020 campaign before ultimately losing his bid to unseat Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

In November’s election, Democrats managed to hold their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and won a razor thin majority in the U.S. Senate after winning two runoff votes last week in Georgia. But they are bracing for tough midterm elections in 2022.

The current DNC chairman, Tom Perez, has said he would not seek to serve another term.

Harrison, an associate chairman for the DNC, formerly worked for South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, whose early backing of Biden helped him secure the party’s presidential nomination last year.

Source: Read Full Article