Chair Jamie Harrison is not seeking another four-year term after November’s losses, and voting members are set to elect a new leader on February 1st. Skoufis, a Democrat from the 42nd District who was just reelected to his fourth term in the state Senate, joins a growing list of candidates that includes Minnesota Democratic Chairman Ken Martin and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
"When you outperform the top of the ticket by 24 percent, you know a thing or two about brass-tacks campaigns," said Skoufis in a campaign announcement video Saturday.
Skoufis does not have many connections in Washington, and is largely unknown to the voting membership. But he is confident his self-proclaimed “outsider” perspective is what the party needs.
The Democrat spoke with WAMC Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Jesse King.