Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez says he’s “taking a look” at running for governor of Maryland in 2022.
Perez made the comment on “The Bill Press Pod” on Tuesday, when asked what his future plans are now that he’s no longer in the role.
“I live here in Maryland and I’ve served in state government under Martin O’Malley, I was a local elected official where I lived in Montgomery County, Maryland. I loved the great state of Maryland,” Perez told host podcaster Bill Press, who is also a columnist for The Hill. “Looking at things, perhaps, we have an open governor’s seat next year and our current incumbent is term-limited. So, [I’m] taking a look at that and we’ll see what happens.”
Perez would be joining an already growing field of candidates to replace current Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who is term-limited. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) has already declared he would run for governor.
More than 15 other Democrats are seen as possible candidates, and least 10 Republicans are also being viewed as contenders, according to Fox News.
Perez served in the Obama administration for eight years, most recently as secretary of Labor from 2013 to 2017. He previously served as state secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation in Maryland from 2007 to 2009, and was elected to the Montgomery County, Md., council in 2002.
The DNC formally elected former South Carolina Senate candidate Jaime Harrison earlier this month to succeed Perez as new chairman of the DNC. The change comes after Democrats won control of the White House and narrowly won both chambers of Congress.