Dems elect ex-labor chief Perez chairman

Democrats elected former Labor Secretary Tom Perez as their new national chairman on Saturday over a liberal Minnesota congressman after a divisive campaign that reflected the depths of the party’s electoral failures as well as the energy from resistance to President Donald Trump.

Perez, the first Latino to hold the post, edged Rep. Keith Ellison on the second round of voting by Democratic National Committee members here.

A nod to his margin of 35 votes out of 435 cast, to say nothing of the lingering friction between oldguard Democratic brokers and outspoken liberal upstarts, Perez tapped Ellison to serve as deputy chair.

“We are all in this together,” Perez said, calling on Democrats to fight “the worst president in the history of the United States.” He added, “I am confident when we lead with our values and we lead with our actions, we succeed.”

Perez had led on the first ballot among six candidates but had no majority.