Democrats on National Tour to Reach Blue-Collar Workers

DNC Chair Tom Perez says party must regain blue-collar voters, plans year-round outreach.

Voting Vote Election 1

Photo credit: Jake Neher/WDET

Sandra Svoboda

The head of the Democratic National Committee says his party did not do a good enough job of outlining a vision for blue-collar voters who eventually helped propel Donald Trump into the White House.

New DNC Chair Tom Perez tells WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter his party needs to go door-to-door throughout the year to reach voters, not just prior to an election.

 

“I know that Donald Trump talked a mean game about job creation. But you gotta look at the reality of what he’s been doing. They’re not draining the swamp. They’re just building a bigger swamp with billionaires who want to give tax cuts to the wealthy and hurt working families.” — Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez

Perez adds that he believes President Trump’s proposed budget cuts to initiatives like job training, after-school programs and Meals on Wheels will convince voters in areas like Macomb County to take a second look at future Democratic candidates.

Jake Neher/WDET

“I know that Donald Trump talked a mean game about job creation. But you gotta look at the reality of what he’s been doing,” Perez said. “They’re not draining the swamp. They’re just building a bigger swamp with billionaires who want to give tax cuts to the wealthy and hurt working families.”

Over the next few weeks the party is taking the so-called “Turnaround Tour” to New Jersey and Virginia, states featuring tough gubernatorial contests.

They also plan to visit Texas, where Democrats say they believe they can make electoral inroads. 

Click on the audio player above to hear the full interview.

Author

  • Quinn Klinefelter is a Senior News Editor at 101.9 WDET. In 1996, he was literally on top of the news when he interviewed then-Senator Bob Dole about his presidential campaign and stepped on his feet.