WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The longest-serving Indian American Congressman, Ami Bera has lost his bid to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee with incoming House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries choosing Rep. Suzan DelBene for the job.
Bera had thrown his hat in the ring last month saying his “skills and experiences” made him “the best choice” to lead the DCCC, “at this pivotal moment as we seek to win in 2024 and deliver for the American people.” Bera and Tony Cárdenas, both California representatives, were in the race for DCCC chair, but party leaders ultimately decided they needed to elevate a woman to the role, media reported citing unnamed sources.
The House Democratic caucus adopted an amendment during a closed-door meeting last month that allows the leader to appoint the chair of the DCCC instead of the position being an elected one. The amendment was originally proposed by DelBene, as well as Reps. Brad Schneider of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.
DelBene’s appointment will need to be ratified by the full Democratic caucus.
DelBene, who was first elected to Congress in 2012, is the outgoing chair of the New Democrat Coalition, made up mostly of pro-business Democrats, including lawmakers representing swing districts, according to media. She succeeds New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who lost reelection to his Lower Hudson Valley seat last month.
In a letter to his colleagues on Nov 14, Bera, who has represented California’s 7th Congressional District since 2013, claimed House Democrats defied history in the 2020 election.
“Not only did our frontliners win close races, but we flipped several Red to Blue seats and we broadened and strengthened our base through historic turnout from young voters.”
“As we head into 2024, the stakes could not be higher for the American people,” wrote Bera who was Frontline Chair for the DCCC, responsible for overseeing the efforts to reelect Democratic Members of Congress in competitive seats.
However, Bera’s candidacy also “came with some baggage” as his opponents resurfaced reports that his father had been sentenced in 2016 after prosecutors tracked “at least $260,000 in illegal contributions funneled through donors but secretly paid by the elder Bera through multiple bank accounts used to further cover his tracks,” according to media reports.