Marianne Williamson launches bid for Democratic National Committee chair

Washington — Marianne Williamson, a self-help author who twice ran for president, announced Thursday that she is running for chair of the Democratic National Committee.

In an open letter to DNC members posted online, Williamson laid out her plan for the party as it seeks to move forward after losing the White House and Senate in November. She urged Democrats to sign a petition to allow her to participate in candidate forums that will be held in January.

DNC members will elect the party's new chair and other officers at its winter meeting Feb. 1. There will also be a series of four forums to allow those running for DNC chair to speak with party members and lay out their vision for the Democratic Party.

"As chairwoman, I will work to reinvent the party from the inside out," Williamson wrote in her pitch to DNC members. "For if we want a new president in four years, and a new Congress in two, then we must immediately get about the task of creating a new party."

She said under her plan, the Democratic Party will be one that "listens more, and makes people feel that their thoughts and feelings are as important as their wallets" and "advocates unequivocally for the working people of the United States." Williamson said the party will have "the humility to recognize we need to look in the mirror, and be willing to reinvent ourselves."

"We won't just fight; we will inspire. We will create a surge of patriotic fervor, and a connectedness of the American heart to the great historical legacy of this country," she wrote. "Our ultimate success will be creating in people's minds a sense that in order to further that legacy, your smartest move is to vote for Democrats."

Williamson joins a field of candidates that includes Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland; Ken Martin, leader of the Minnesota arm of the Democratic Party; and Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Jaime Harrison, the current DNC chair, is not seeking reelection.

Williamson, 72, sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and 2024. She was the first Democrat to launch her presidential bid during the most recent election, becoming the first primary challenger to President Biden. 

A spiritual adviser and author, Williamson suspended her presidential campaign in early February, but rejoined the race several weeks later. After the primaries ended in June, she posted on social media that she was "no longer a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president." Mr. Biden dropped out of the race in July, with the Democratic Party ultimately nominating Vice President Kamala Harris.