Who'll lead the Democrats nationally? Inslee and Podlodowski at odds

Democrats from Washington state will be in Atlanta on Saturday to help pick a new leader for the Democratic National Committee.

Gov. Jay Inslee is backing Tom Perez, labor secretary in the Obama administration. Tina Podlodowski, recently elected chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, is backing Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison.

Podlodowski says that if you care about the future of politics in the United States, it matters who runs the national committee.

“This is a reset year for Democrats,” she said. “You know 2016 was a very tough year, not just in national elections, but also in local elections."

She wants more attention on local politics.

"For all of us who are running state parties, we want to see a DNC that goes back to an investment in state parties, not just running a presidential race," she said.

It's not clear yet how the majority of Washington’s nine officials will vote.

There are other candidates as well, but Perez and Ellison are the front-runners.

The race between them is seen as re-do of the Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders battle of the 2016 primaries. Perez represents the Obama-Clinton side, which has dominated the DNC, with Ellison seen as the more progressive candidate in the Sanders mold.

National Public Radio has a wrap-up of the candidates, their stances and their endorsements.