Jaime Harrison, the former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman and defeated 2020 challenger to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, will be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee as Joe Biden is sworn in as president.
Harrison was the national Democratic darling heading into the November general election against Trump-backer Graham, but ended up losing by double digits among South Carolina voters. In all, he set fundraising records quarter after quarter, raising nearly $132 million dollars for his campaign.
“I’ve known Jaime Harrison for years,” said Majority Whip James Clyburn on Twitter. “I know his heart, his passion for our Party, his unmatched work ethic — and I commend President-elect Biden on an excellent choice.”
Harrison said he was “humbled and excited” that Biden selected him for the post and that he was “ready to invest in every ZIP code” to expand the map for Democrats.
For its part, the South Carolina Republican Party took a victory lap upon the announcement, saying it “wholeheartedly supports” Harrison’s appointment.
“Not only did he waste more than $130 million on a failed Senate campaign, Harrison managed to sink his entire party up and down the ticket” S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement.
With Trump at the top of the ticket, despite Harrison’s record-setting fundraising, South Carolina Republicans made gains in the state legislature, flipping three seats in the S.C. Senate. Those gains put Republicans in the driver’s seat to pass ultra-conservative legislation, including proposals to severely restrict abortion rights, which lawmakers are already taking up during their first week back in Columbia.
Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20.
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