Tom Perez

Tom Perez Nabs Dnc Chair Endorsement From Disability Rights Pioneer

... the Olmstead decision  as head of the Department of Justice’s civil rights division. The 1999 Supreme Court ruling required states to integrate people with disabilities into their communities, rather than institutionalize them, whenever possible. Paul Morigi/Getty Images. Former Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) endorsed former Labor Secretary Tom Perez to chair the Democratic National Committee. Coelho is one of several prominent disability rights activists who have embraced Perez’s candidacy based on his disability rights record. With just a few days left before the contentious election, Perez and the other eight remaining candidates are pulling out all the stops. On Saturday, New Hampshire Democratic Chair Ray Buckley announced that we was dropping out of the contest and endorsing Perez’s chief rival, Rep. ...

In Texas, Do You Have To Drive 120 Miles For A Voter Id

... are disproportionately poor." He, too, cited the 120-mile drive statistic, the Post reported. And the talking point made it into the ruling in which the appeals court struck down the law. That said, the claim deserves some context. Where would someone have to drive that far. Uresti, the Texas state senator, had testified that the drive could be up to 120 miles for some Texans who live between San Antonio and El Paso - basically, the lightly populated western portion of the state. So that’s where we focused our attention. We found one newspaper reader who contributed some thoughts on the law to the Dallas Morning News. Kirby Warnock, of the Dallas suburb of Oak Cliff, told the paper that he has family in the Big Bend region, a rural area of west Texas along the Rio Grande. "If a person lives in tiny Imperial, or Terlingua, they have to get a friend or family member to ...

Tennessee Democrats Supporting Tom Perez For Dnc Chair

... Perez for DNC chair. Jake Lowary , USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Published 11:36 a.m. ET Feb. 24, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago. Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez is a candidate for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. (Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images). 42 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 10 COMMENTEMAILMORE. The Tennessee Democratic Party is putting its support behind Tom Perez to lead the Democratic National Committee, the state party said Friday. The announcement came a day before the party was scheduled to vote on the next party leader in Atlanta, and state party leader Mary Mancini said it shouldn't be viewed as a "wing-vs-wing" move, even if some claim the party is divided. “The reality is that this was a hard choice between a number of solid progressive candidates all with track records of positive organizational development and grassroots campaign experience," Mancini said in a release. Perez, a civil rights attorney and former Labor secretary, is facing Congressman Keith Ellison to take over the party, which faced defeating losses in November. Former Vice President Joe Biden and ex-Attorney General Eric Holder have endorsed Perez. Sens. ...

Tom Perez Elected Democratic National Committee Chair

... the president in 2020. “We are one family, and I know we will leave here united today, no doubt about that,” Perez said. “We are indeed the party that turns hardship into hope. We are the party that turns doubts into dreams.”. Jay Jacobs, a New York DNC member who whipped votes for Perez in the second round of voting, said some party leaders ultimately decided Ellison was too radical. “You have to understand that on the emotional level, a lot of people liked Keith’s message, and liked the idea of the dramatic change,” said Jacobs, chair of the Nassau County Democratic Party on Long Island. “On the more intellectual level, we had a sense ― and I think this is what a lot of folks had a sense ― that this would shift the party too far to the left. That was the back and forth.”. Other DNC members who backed Perez cited reasons unrelated to policy or ideology. Massachusetts DNC member David O’Brien pointed to Perez’s experience running large organizations and said he was impressed with Perez on a personal level, having heard from him repeatedly in recent weeks. “The fact that [Perez] said he ...

Tom Perez On Why The Democratic Party Needs A Dramatic Culture Shift

... The former labor secretary under President Obama is now a leading contender in the crowded field to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The election is set for the weekend of Feb. 24 in Atlanta. LISTEN HERE. For more conversations like this, subscribe to “Cape UP” on i Tunes or Stitcher. “The first dimension of culture change … is we have to redefine our mission. It’s not simply the election of the president. It is the election of candidates from the school board to the Senate,” Perez said in the latest episode of “Cape Up.” He said that the best way to accomplish this is to make sure the endeavor is “a 12-month enterprise, not just a three-month enterprise before the election.”. President Trump’s successful campaign against Hillary Clinton and its message to voters also inform Perez’s thinking. “What voters heard was ‘he’s feeling my pain, he’s feeling my ...

Protester Urges Tom Perez To Back Democratic Primary Challengers

... and after one more repetition — and after security removed the banner but allowed Green to stay — Perez launched into a polite non-answer. “Part of the reason I love the Democratic Party, folks, is that it’s a big tent,” he said. “When we have spirited debates, you know what it reminds me of? Thanksgiving with my family.”. Perez went on to say that Democrats needed to “lock arms” on principles of “inclusion, opportunity and respect for everyone.” He didn’t speak to the primary challenges, but the DNC maintains — or is supposed to maintain — total neutrality in party primaries. Not even Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a rival candidate whom Green had praised on Twitter, suggested that the party should back challengers. As the forum ended, two of Perez’s 10 rivals — the only two women in the race — singled out Green for praise. “I just want to thank you for your bravery,” said Idaho Democratic Party Executive Director Sally Boynton Brown. “Speaking out and breaking the rules is something we’re ...

Dnc Picks Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez As New Chair

... February 25, 2017. Meanwhile, Clinton congratulated both men on Twitter and called for a “strong, unifed party.”. Congrats to @DNC chair @Tom Perez & deputy @keithellison. Excited for strong, unified party standing for best of our country into the future. — Hillary Clinton (@Hillary Clinton) February 25, 2017. On social media, many activists and progressives expressed dismay at the result, arguing that Perez’s win represents a victory for the establishment that they fear will repeat the same mistakes of the 2016 election cycle. The DNC chooses the Beltway over the Rust Belt. #Shocked Not Shocked #DNCChair. — Justice Democrats (@justicedems) February 25, 2017. However, Ellison called for unity after the election, saying that Democrats “don’t have the luxury” of being divided. . @keithellison calls for unity in concession speech after #DNCchair vote: "We don't have the luxury to walk out of this room ...

Ann Marie Staudenmaier, Tom Perez’s Wife

... Volunteer Corps from 1983 through 1984 in Buffalo, New York,  according to her Facebook page. According to Tom Perez’s 2013 confirmation hearing , Staudenmaier’s uncle is a Jesuit and teaches at the University of Detroit Mercy, a Roman Catholic college in Detroit, Michigan. 4. She Studied Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ann Marie Staudenmaier studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ( Facebook ). Before pursuing a career in law, Ann Marie Staudenmaier was interested in journalism. According to her Facebook page, Staudenmaier studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduating, Staudenmaier decided to pursue law at the George Washington University Law School. 5. She & Tom Have Three Children. Tom Perez and Ann Marie Staudenmaier with their children, Amalia, Susana, and Rafael. ( Facebook ). Ann Marie Staudenmaier and Tom Perez have three children: two daughters, Amalia and Susana, and one son, Rafael. Amalia Perez is currently a ...