Biden Endorses Perez in Race to Lead Democratic Party

Former Vice President Joe Biden is backing Tom Perez to head the Democratic National Committee, calling the Obama administration labor secretary the "best bet to help bring the party back."

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By Associated Press

February 1, 2017 at 5:44 PM UTC

Updated on

February 1, 2017 at 8:32 PM UTC

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Washington (AP) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden is backing Tom Perez to head the Democratic National Committee, calling the former Obama administration labor secretary the "best bet to help bring the party back."

Biden's endorsement — a sign of Perez's strong support among former Obama administration officials — drew a sharp response from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, escalating the relatively sleepy party chairman battle into a fight between the liberal wing that supported Sanders' insurgent primary bid and backers of Hillary Clinton.