Identity Politics Roil Most Diverse House Democratic Caucus Ever

But for much of the caucus, the imperative is diversity. The top ranks of the party’s infrastructure, including senior campaign officials and the consultants and strategists who work with them, remain overwhelmingly white. And as the president eagerly stokes racial animus for political advantage, many Democrats believe it is past time to confront their own party’s issues with race.

“At the end of the day, we know how Democrats took back the House, and it was because of black and brown voters throughout the country and female voters,” said Bakari Sellers, a Democratic political strategist. “And there is a very real concern that our recruiting and leadership and all of those things have to be equally as diverse.”

“For the Democratic Party to lack diversity in any way in the year 2019 is unacceptable,” he added, “and I’d rather fix it now than have to deal with it later.”

That “fix it now” imperative rocked the House Democratic campaign arm this week after complaints from black and Hispanic lawmakers led to a wholesale purge of its leadership. Politico ran a series of articles detailing the infighting, and Ms. Bustos rushed back to Washington from her Springfield, Ill., district to contain the fallout. Within 24 hours of Ms. Jaslow’s resignation, another five senior officials were gone.

Now, Ms. Bustos is engaged in a rescue mission, with the Democratic majority at stake.

“To my colleagues, who I have the upmost respect for, I hear your concerns, and we can and must do better,” Ms. Bustos said in a statement this week, after tearful meetings with staff and intense calls with angry lawmakers.

Source: The New York Times

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