Becoming the DNC Chairman

[erpowers]

How does one become the chairman of the DNC?

[Mojambo]

1. I'm pretty sure you have to take a class. n/t

[dorktv]

2. Give fifty million or get fifty million for the party?

[sangh0]

3. If the Dems win the Presidency

the new President appoints his choice. I believe there's actually some sort of delegate or commission that votes on this, but to my understanding, that is a formality.

[claudiajean]

4. The DNC Chair (not "man") is elected by the members of the DNC

Every two years, the elected members of the Democratic National Committee elect their officers to a two-year term.

These officers include the Chair, Vice-Chair, Recording Secretary and the Treasurer. Regional chairs and officers are also elected by the members of each region.

Here's how the progression goes: The precinct committee officers (which I hope we all are, unless our precinct PCO position is filled) elect their local district and county officers, who in turn elect their state committeemembers, who in turn elect your state's Democratic National Committeemembers. Number of positions is apportioned by population. Each state chair is automatically also a member of the DNC.

My state has six DNC members residing within the borders: two men, two women, the state party chair, and we boost our number by one, as the regional chair is also from our state.

The duly elected members of the DNC elect the DNC Chair. Several months are devoted to high-intensity campaigning for the position, unless filled by a popular incumbent who is running for re-election. While the upper staff of the Presidential campaign, when successful, certainly have some influence, so do a lot of other influential Democrats and progressives around the country.

The support of a new Democratic President-elect would certainly be helpful in a DNC chair campaign, (as would the support of any other influential Democrat on the national stage) but the President or President-elect do not appoint the DNC chair, and it is definitely possible for a person to win DNC chair who is not supported by the Presidential campaign folks.