The race to become House Democrats’ chief messenger is exposing a generational divide between the party’s old guard and new, social media-savvy members on how to win back voters after this November’s disappointment.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a 70-year-old senior member who took over the position last year, is facing an unexpected, eleventh-hour challenge by Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), a 43-year-old freshman.
“I do think whoever’s chair of the DPCC needs to have experience at being a co-chair, understanding you got to work with leadership, who your staff is, how you include the co-chairs, and how you communicate with the caucus,” Dingell told us.
Dingell served as a DPCC co-chair in 2018 and 2020 but was term-limited out. There’s currently an open co-chair position, for which Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) is running. The co-chair position is a more junior position compared to the chair.
And Crockett’s bid to go after a high-ranking position as a junior lawmaker has raised some eyebrows in the caucus among senior Democrats. One member described such a move as “very unusual.”
Crockett, who has quickly risen on the national stage, argues she’s an effective communicator who is the best fit for the position. Crockett added that Dingell has already served two terms as co-chair and the party should allow for a fresh perspective.
“You’re talking about people that haven’t had a chance to really fully develop and show the caucus what all they can do,” Crockett told us. “This was the best space I can occupy to potentially really put that extra jolt in communications, and this is the post I am running for.”
Both contenders have been actively seeking the support of various caucuses and individual members, while Dingell is seen by lawmakers as the strong favorite. Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who declined to directly weigh in, said Dingell has done a “great job” and he’s worked closely with her as DPCC Chair.
Dingell said she’s contacted every member of the House Democratic Caucus either by phone, in person or via text. Crockett said she’s been working to sway key groups such as the Congressional Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus — both of which she is a member.
If Crockett is elected, that would add another Black woman to the Democratic leadership table. Currently, DPCC co-chair Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) is the only Black woman serving in House Democratic leadership.
A larger issue for the DPCC is that many Frontline offices told us last week that they see the messaging arm as increasingly irrelevant. Vulnerable members often focus on hyper-local issues when speaking with constituents and view the caucus-wide DPCC information as out of touch.
