Remember yesterday when the executive board of the Association of State Democratic Chairs recommended that the group endorse Donnie Fowler as the new DNC chair? Yeah, that didn’t work too well for Fowler.
Former Vermont governor Howard Dean took control of the race for Democratic National Committee chairman yesterday by easily winning the endorsement of the Association of State Democratic Chairs and later picking up the support of one of his rivals, former Denver mayor Wellington Webb.
Dean showed surprising strength in capturing a first-ballot endorsement from the state party leaders, and yesterday’s developments left him in a strong position to claim his party’s chairmanship when the full DNC meets here later this month, unless anti-Dean forces within the party quickly coalesce around one of his remaining rivals.
The actual vote wasn’t particularly close — among the ASDC members, Dean won 56 vote, Fowler had 21, Martin Frost was a distant third with five. “Dean inevitability,” in other words, is back.
Indeed, it’s forced one of Dean’s rivals for the job out of the race altogether.
Wellington Webb dropped out of the race to chair the Democratic National Committee today and endorsed former Vermont governor Howard Dean for the job.
When it comes to Dean keeping an insurmountable lead, there’s reason to maintain some skepticism, but this is one race that appears to be all wrapped up.
Dean supporters interpreted yesterday’s vote as decisive. “I think this means that Howard Dean is absolutely going to win the national chairmanship,” said Scott Maddox, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, one of the first state leaders to endorse Dean.
Others who opposed Dean in the state chairs’ vote predicted his eventual victory. “When you look at the support Governor Dean is getting, this race is pretty close to being over,” said Kathy Sullivan, the New Hampshire Democratic chair who voted for Webb yesterday but who quickly announced her support for Dean. “Based on the vote and other endorsements, if [Dean’s] not over the threshold by the end of the week, I’ll be wicked surprised.”