Faiz Shakir, former campaign manager for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, is among eight candidates running to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. The longshot candidate, who only entered the race in mid-January, spoke with Daily Kos about his vision for the Democratic Party, which includes turning it into a more working-class-oriented grassroots organization.
On Feb. 1, the DNC’s 448-person membership will choose a new leader. In addition to Shakir, the race includes former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin, former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler, and others.
Daily Kos, which is not endorsing anyone in this race, has reached out to all candidates.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Daily Kos: In November, you said, “I don’t think anybody wants me to be the DNC chair.” What changed?
Faiz Shakir: I followed the race very closely, and I listened. There were at least two candidate forums I listened to before I got in—one hosted by the AFL-CIO and another focused on the southern region.
Members of Minnesota’s St. Paul Federation of Teachers, part of AFL-CIO
As I listened to them, I was pleased to find that so many folks are talking about wanting to make the Democratic Party a working-class party. But I was feeling let down by the lack of ambition of what they were going to do differently with the power of the Democratic National Committee, particularly in this moment where you would think that the DNC chair would play a big role in establishing what the brand of the party is.
I remember at the AFL-CIO forum that, as candidates were talking to labor groups, it was as if they were treating them as a special interest group within the party. I don’t see it that way. If you’re a working-class party, labor is the ethos that governs all. It is how we orient ourselves as to what defines us.
We can’t just drift aimlessly through this election without forcing people to confront that question of what guides us and think about what we want to do differently. So while I was hesitant initially, I ultimately jumped in the race and said, ‘Fine, I’ll shake this up.’
DK: You entered the race relatively late compared to some of your competitors. What did you think was missing from their candidacies that made you want to enter?
Shakir: I sensed the ideas they were putting on the table did not seem novel nor meet the moment of wanting to transform the Democratic Party into a working-class party. My vision for the party is pretty simple: We’re a grassroots body. We’re a Democratic Party that invites people in. Our power comes from people, not from big money. In this moment, the party needs to be of community and service to others beyond ourselves.
DK: One thing that’s always struck me is that the electorate is fairly progressive on economic issues. Still, they’re somewhat more conservative on social issues (e.g., affirmative action, trans issues, and immigration). Given that these facts are not especially convenient for the party, how do Democrats win elections?
Shakir: The polling is reflecting the diversity of the electorate, even among Democrats. But the worst thing we could do at this moment is to react to that and say, ‘Let’s look at polling and determine what our posture should be.’ There are a lot of different views and nuances that are not captured in polls of how people might feel. I think voters want to know what our views are on these matters, regardless of what polls say, and they want us to stand by those convictions even when criticism comes.
In my view, the economic justice primacy of the Democratic Party has to come through. The common bond is the idea that we’re living in a society of massive wealth and income inequality, where people who have great power are those who are rewarded, and those who are struggling are made to feel as if they are suckers. Our job is to make sure our whole reason for being a Democratic Party is to fight for a common person. That is our historical lineage.
DK: Some reporting suggests that everyday Democrats are mad about former President Joe Biden suddenly dropping out of the race and then what some believe was a lackluster campaign by former Vice President Kamala Harris. How do you rebuild trust and hope in the Democratic Party and its processes?
Shakir: In the past few years, there were confrontations Democrats took on against corporate power that, in my mind, never made their way into our national politics. As a result, the average voter doesn’t know about a lot of the things that the party likes to tout as victories.
For instance, did you know that Biden’s administration brought a major case against Google and is suing them to break up their monopoly? We could go down the list and these things would be enormously popular, but no one knows about them. Why? What’s the disconnect there? To me, the disconnect is that, on the political side, these issues the party took on against corporate America were never mobilized as major campaign fights. On top of that, unfortunately, President Donald Trump was able to sell a message to working-class people that sounded good because of his performance art.
Now, because we’ve lost power so gravely, we’ve got to present a vision of what we would do differently. We can’t just say, ‘Everything that Trump is doing is terrible.’ That won’t do the job of persuasion for a lot of audiences. This is where Democrats need to lean into their desires to want [the] government to succeed.
DK: How do you contend with the Democratic members of Congress who refuse to cease power and won’t let the younger, more progressive guard have much of a voice?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has been a favorable leader among young Democratic voters hopeful for change.
Shakir: Nothing is ever going to change if we don’t compel that change. That change may not happen immediately, but if you don’t force the issue, it may be the case that the status quo just continues forever. Somebody’s got to come along and posit a choice—a directional choice. The Democratic Party can’t miss these opportunities to seize the change that we see. This is the moment to consider that.
If you’re a Democrat who is frustrated, then step up, suit up, and fight. Whether you’re running for local office or want to be a DNC member. I’m following the lead of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Don’t be daunted by the fact that you might not win. It’s worth the fight.
DK: Do you think some members of the Democratic establishment are scared of change?
Shakir: Yes. They just become used to and comfortable with a certain way of operating. And that way of operating is, in my mind, a little too cozy with people who have big money and who are large donors. Our elites are too interconnected with a lot of these people and don’t often feel the same passion of millions of working-class people who want starker confrontation in an age of great power imbalance in this country.
DK: There’s a lot on the line with Saturday’s vote. If you lose, what might that tell you about the party’s direction?
Shakir: If I were not successful, I think that shows Democrats are comfortable with the way the club is currently organized. I understand that, in many ways, the DNC is a bureaucracy to manage. But we can’t be worried about that when the ship itself is going down.
Even if I lose, I’ll still be involved with the party. I ain’t checking out. I’ll just keep pushing.
Andrew Mangan contributed research to this article.
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