The next Democratic National Committee leader needs to reflect the diversity of America, said Symone Sanders, former press secretary for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and a CNN contributor.
“In my opinion, we don’t need white people leading the Democratic Party right now,” she told CNN’s Brianna Keilar Wednesday on “Wolf.”
“The Democratic Party is diverse, and it should be reflected as so in our leadership and throughout the staff at the highest levels from the vice chairs to the secretaries all the way down to the people working in the offices at the DNC,” Sanders added.
Several individuals have expressed their interest in leading the party following Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s defeat earlier this month. Clinton worked hard to win “the Obama coalition” — black, Latino, millennial and women voters — but was ultimately unsuccessful in matching President Barack Obama’s base.
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress, has expressed interest in the DNC job, as has former Maryland Gov. Martin O’ Malley, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison and former DNC chair Howard Dean.
Sanders criticized the idea of Dean returning to lead the party, however.
“Howard Dean is on record maligning young people and millennials, telling those Bernie folks they just need to get in line, and maligning Bernie Sanders,” Sanders said. “And that is not what we need right now.”
Sanders, a black woman and millennial, said she is interested in hearing each of the candidates’ proposals for taking the party into the future.
“I want to hear more from everybody. I’m here for the millennials and the brown folks,” she said.