Keith Ellison is considering stepping down from his role as co-chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) amid multiple domestic-abuse allegations and a contentious run for Minnesota attorney general.
“You know, I’ve been evaluating that recently and we’ll see,” Ellison said on WCCO radio. “I need to put 100 percent of my time, energy, and resources into the race and my office, so it is something I am taking consideration on.”
“I’ll put it like this though: I will be 110 percent for Minnesota all the time, every time, without fail, and so that is something that we’re beginning to evaluate right now,” Ellison added.
Minnesota Democrats, however, were essentially silent on Ellison’s announcement, which has been the trend ever since the congressman was accused of domestic abuse by ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan. National party leaders have also been distancing themselves from Ellison, including President Barack Obama, who excluded Ellison from a list of his endorsed Minnesota candidates.
Ellison doesn’t exactly get along with DNC Chairman Tom Perez, either. Perez named Ellison his number-two after a heated battle for the DNC’s top position in an attempt to make peace, but reports from earlier this year detailed the “explosive fights” between the two men.
In August, Perez was caught on tape while he ran away from a Republican tracker who attempted to ask him about the allegations against Ellison. Later that same day, Perez made headlines again for backtracking his claims that the DNC would investigate the allegations, instead placing that responsibility on state party leaders.
The tension on the campaign trail has caused Ellison to slip in the polls while he runs for a position that Democrats in Minnesota have occupied since 1972. The latest polls show that Ellison is in a dead heat with Republican Doug Wardlow.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
