Ellison says he’ll resign from Congress if elected DNC chair

Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison says he’ll resign his seat in Congress if he wins the election for the Democrats’ party chair.

Ellison says in a statement that he’ll be “all-in to meet the challenge” of rebuilding the party after the Democrats’ devastating defeat in the 2016 elections.

The race to lead the Democratic National Committee has emerged as a central battleground in the fight for the future of the Democratic Party.

Ellison has taken flack from some pro-Israel groups for appearing to take stances critical of the Jewish state.

Ellison says he decided to vacate his seat after hearing from many party activists concerned that he couldn’t hold both positions. Some saw the criticism as a way of opposing Ellison without directly linking it to Israel.

He plans to continue serving in Congress until the DNC election.

The former chairwoman, Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, attracted criticism for being focused on her own re-election and insufficiently committed to the job of leading the national party.

— with AP