Democrats 2018: Chairman Tom Perez Asks For DNC Staff Resignations

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has asked all members of the DNC staff to submit resignation letters by April 15, NBC News reported Tuesday.

The party still is reeling from November’s election defeat, and the mass resignations will allow Perez, who was elected party chairman in February, the party’s third leader in a year, to remake party headquarters.

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Democrats largely have blamed Russian interference in the election for their massive defeat but admit they failed to get their message to voters. The party moved to the left with Sanders’ candidacy and the question was how much clout the liberal left will have once Perez gets done.

In addition to the election losses, the party dealt with accusations of favoritism last year when hacked emails were released indicating the DNC favored former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination over Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The email debacle forced the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as party chair right before the Democratic National Convention.

Donna Brazile then took over as interim chair but her tenure was marred by accusations she gave Clinton a heads up on questions before one of the town hall presidential debate. Brazile admitted in a Time magazine op-ed she had indeed passed on potential questions.

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"What we're trying to do is culture change," Perez told NBC News between stops of a listening tour in Michigan Friday. "We're repairing a plane at 20,000 feet. You can't land the plane, shut it down, and close it until further notice."

He also said he doesn’t expect to please everyone.

Since his election to the chairmanship, Perez has been trying to mend fences with the progressive wing of the party, co-opting Keith Ellison, who also sought the chairmanship, as deputy chairman. NBC said Ellison’s political director has been helping on staffing decisions in key departments.

Perez began remaking the party two weeks ago, appointing a 30-member transition advisory committee that spans the gamut of Democratic interests. The committee is chaired by Leah Daughtry, CEO of the 2016 national convention in Philadelphia.