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Wasserman Schultz to Run D.N.C.

First Jewish woman to head either party’s national committee

by
Marc Tracy
April 06, 2011
Debbie Wasserman Schultz in January.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz in January.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Obama has selected Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, to head the Democratic National Committee, the party’s organizational apparatus, through the 2012 election cycle. She is the first Jewish woman to head the Democratic or Republican National Committees. A four-term congresswoman whose southern Florida district includes parts of Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach, she initially supported Secretary of State Clinton in the 2008 primary but has been a mostly staunch advocate of the president’s agenda. According to her biography, you can basically thank her for National Jewish Heritage Month—coming in a few weeks!—as well as for an expansive national initiative to promote education about breast cancer, which passed as part of the health care law.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.