Ellison says he can lead Dems out of 'this mess'
A congressman who wants to head the Democratic National Committee says his party is in "this mess because we lost not one election, but a thousand elections" at all levels around the country.
Keith Ellison of Minnesota says he'll turn around the party's fortune if he's elected DNC chairman.
He made his comments before party activists meeting in Atlanta. The vote is expected later Saturday.
Whatever the outcome, Ellison says it's important that the party is unified after the gathering as Democrats work to counter President Donald Trump.
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He says: "We've got to come out of here, hand in hand, brothers and sisters, because Trump is right outside of that door, and not just Trump, but Trumpism."
The other leading candidate to be Democratic Party chairman, Tom Perez, says his party is "suffering from a crisis of confidence, a crisis of relevance" after the election of Donald Trump as president.
Perez is pledging that if he's elected chairman, he'll help "turn this party around and get Democrats winning again."
The former labor secretary under President Barack Obama says "a united Democratic Party is not only our best hope, it is Donald Trump's worst nightmare."