Democrats have become tired that their party continues to be “a doormat for Republicans,” and are seeking leaders who are willing to fight back, former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said.
“People want somebody who’s going to fight,” Harrison told NBC News in a story published Friday. “If there’s a theme that I am constantly getting, it’s they’re tired of the party being a doormat for Republicans. They want somebody who’s gonna give the Republicans just as much hell — if not more — and fight for them and their families and their communities.”
Former President Joe Biden picked Harrison, a former leader of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, to lead the DNC in 2021, but Harrison stepped down following the 2024 election, during which Democrats lost the presidency and control of Congress.
Harrison said anyone who can’t say they were strongly standing up to Republicans shouldn’t bother hitting the campaign trail.
“If you’re coming here and your backbone is like a wet noodle or spaghetti, you might as well just not even — save your airfare,” he said with a laugh.
Christale Spain, who became chair of South Carolina’s Democratic Party in 2023, echoed Harrison, telling NBC News the party needs someone who is “going to fight back against the current MAGA Republicans. We’re looking for a leader that is a fighter.”
The comments come amid a Reuters/Ipsos poll last month that found Democrats believe the party isn’t focusing enough on economic issues and is overemphasizing issues such as transgender rights and electric vehicles.
The poll identified a deep disconnect between what Democrats said their priorities are and the issues they believe party leaders care about most ahead of next year’s midterm elections. They see their elected officials as not focused on helping families make ends meet and reducing corporate influence.
Former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, the last Democrat governor in The Palmetto State, said primary voters should be looking for someone who “knows how to win.” Other Democrats who spoke to NBC News said they want a party leader who can draw in voters of all political stripes.
“I hear several things consistently,” said Hodges, who served from 1999-2003. “It’s critically important that we choose well in this next election cycle, whether we pick somebody who can draw independent voters, rally the base and get some Republican votes.”
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